Authorities were searching for a Texas Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Operation Lone Star who went missing along the Rio Grande river during a mission related incident Friday, according to the Texas Military Department.
“Operation Lone Star has been going on for more than a year and has been plagued with numerous reports of soldiers taking their own lives and financial issues stemming from the state struggling to pay troops on time,” said the Military Times.
As of approximately 3 p.m. Friday, the soldier had not yet been found, said the department. Reports of a fatality near the Eagle Pass, Texas site “are inaccurate,” said the department, which is working with other agencies to find the solider.
According to a tweet from Fox News journalist Bill Melugin, multiple sources reported Friday afternoon that the soldier had drowned while trying to save migrants in the water. At that time, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported a body had been recovered.
Later, Melguin said reporters were told the recovered body was not a solider.
He said the Maverick County Sheriff estimated that the soldier went missing in the water at around 8:30 a.m. while he was trying to save a female migrant who survived. She is now in Border Patrol custody, Melugin added.
Check back for updates.