PITTSBURGH (Newsradio KDKA) - Must be an election year. A tragic, avoidable death was not widely reported at all in the media. This is very likely because it occurred at a political flashpoint: The US Southern Border. A Texas National Guard Soldier went missing while reportedly attempting to save two fellow human beings who appeared to be drowning in the Rio Grande river. The migrants, who were struggling to stay above water, were ultimately rescued and are in the custody of the US Customs and Border Patrol. A Texas Rangers investigation revealed that the pair was part of an “illicit transnational narcotics trafficking” organization. As of Saturday evening “the soldier has not been found,” declared the Texas Military Department. The soldier was later identified as 22-year old Bishop E. Evans of Arlington, Texas.
The situation is tragic. I did see a little bit of news on Friday evening. One channel, Fox News, had it but not as the lead story. No one else seemed to care. Maybe it was because the story broke on a Friday afternoon. Maybe it was because there was initial confusion about the story or conflicting details. Maybe it was because Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent 10 busloads of unlawful migrants to the US Capitol to the chagrin of lawmakers and national media types. Maybe, just maybe, it was because it involved the southern border, the military, and a missing hero selflessly trying to save someone entering the country at an illegitimate crossing point prior to a crucial election.
Normally, when a big story breaks I get 6 or 7 alerts from various sources. I only got one on Friday. It was from the New York Post at 1:28pm. I was away from the phone and office enjoying lunch with a few co-workers on a gorgeous day after cleaning up a city neighborhood for Earth Day. Following that I spent a few hours virtue signaling about our collective good deed by writing a recap story. So, I did not see the heartbreakingly tragic news until a bit later.
I woke up early Saturday morning to catch up on emails & news only to find not one mention of the heroic efforts and untimely death. None of the dozen or so CBS News Alerts I receive in a constant stream regarding coverage of topics-of-the-day included it. A quick scan of all of the normal websites: ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, OAN, Newsmax, state news outlets….none of them had the story anywhere visible on their sites. NONE OF THEM. Not even if I scrolled down far beyond the top stories, the national stories, the local stories. Not a peep. Thankfully, KDKA Radio mentioned the story by mid-morning on Saturday when I tuned in. The Houston Chronicle had the story. As did American Military News, the Daily Beast, Just The News, and a Texas TV station.
The non-coverage of this event is disgraceful. Granted, there was some initial confusion as to whether the soldier assigned to ‘Operation Lone Star’ had gone missing or drowned. Regardless, the seemingly complete media blackout or shunning or suppression of this story is disgraceful. I get numerous, constant news feeds and alerts on my phone and in my email. On Friday and Saturday, I got notices ad nauseam regarding Earth Day, 2021’s Jan. 6 riots, Johnny Depp & Amber Heard court proceedings, Ukraine, MLB, Duane Haskins funeral, a bizarre shooting in DC, new pictures of Meghan & Harry’s kids, the list goes on. However, I got just one alert on Friday about the death of a National Guardsman who went missing while attempting to save people crossing a river as they arrived in America. No alerts on Saturday. A preview of the schedules for the Sunday morning news shows offers little hope for coverage. Maybe Monday will be the day.
Most people like to say ‘thank you for your service’ to a military hero when they see them on the street. Those words or sentiments mean a lot to the many who express them or receive them. However, when one of those American heroes dies while serving their country -IN their country - very few unfortunately even take notice. The reason is quite simple: It is because the Biden Administration, and most administrations since I was a child, as well as many elected officials and bureaucrats and media members choose to play political hot potato with the issue of borders and immigration. It is job security for them but it is the death of a service member, a relative, and a nation for us. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 600 lost their lives attempting to cross into the US illegally last year. It was a sharp increase in fatalities. Who knows how many died or were murdered by those they entrusted with safe passage before they even got close.
I did not serve this country in uniform. However, I am very grateful for those who sign up to defend and die for our nation. However, this apparent fatality was avoidable. If only we adhered to a thoughtful immigration plan for say, oh, the last 100 years. Unfortunately, politics get involved in the serious issues we face and a good life is quietly lost.
I learned that our nation’s borders were not secure when I was in 8th grade. I will turn 52 soon. We are still talking about the issue and its ramifications. This article is not intended to bash anyone who has or is arriving here with the dreams of a better life. Most of us trace our roots to very similar stories. However, not all who come by land, sea, or air arrive for that noble purpose. The problem is very real. Just look at the report of the two who were saved. But, if one brings this topic up they are usually shunned or receive rolling eyes.
The open border is just one point from which children are trafficked, nefarious individuals arrive, and illegal narcotics eventually flow into our neighborhoods. If some of our leaders are not complicit in this activity then they are assisting in its growth with their lack of enforcing or addressing the laws. The Texas Rangers indicate drug smuggling, not terror or trafficking, was the issue during this rescue. If it was something more emotionally favorable then the media may have actually reported the incident.
Last year, US Customs & Border agents seized massive amounts of narcotics. In fact, they grabbed 11,000 pounds of Fentanyl - 4 times more than 2019. That is enough to pretty much kill us all. Fentanyl was created in the early 1960’s for pain management, anesthesia, and for end-stage cancer treatments. It is at least 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the National Institutes of Health. Illicit, powder-form Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for US adults ages 18-45. It killed a total of 40,010 young Americans last year alone. The Centers For Disease Control estimates Fentanyl overdoses at 841,000 in the last 20 years. But I digress.
According the Customs and Border Patrol, there were 221,303 encounters on the US Southwest Land Border in March alone. It is estimated that another 2,000 a day (62,000+) ‘got away’ or eluded contact with CBP last month. This is all outside of the standard ports of entry. Who knows how many entered completely undetected. A population equal to that of the city of Pittsburgh arrived unlawfully last month alone. Many more are expected in May when the Biden Administration officially abandons the Trump-era’s ‘Title 42’ which allowed agents to quickly turn back migrants arriving illegally during the Covid pandemic. Officials are bracing for an influx of 18,000 arrivals a day at that point.
So far in April, border agents in Texas recovered 11 other bodies from strong currents of the river in the same sector near Eagle Pass in which the unnamed Guardsman went missing.
Unfortunately very soon, the grieving family of Bishop E. Evans will attend his funeral. They will hear the words of a representative from the Department of Defense which may ring hollow to them considering the lack of acknowledgement of the mission. Maybe the protocol should be edited slightly: “On behalf of a few grateful citizens who actually pay attention, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service to an issue the country refuses to intelligently address.”
Kevin Battle is cohost of the KDKA Radio Morning Show with Larry Richert. It airs M-F 5a-9a on Pittsburgh’s 100.1FM & AM1020 KDKA or on the free Audacy app. Ask your smartspeaker to: ‘Play KDKA.’ Thank you.