Agents detain 86 immigrants near canal in South Texas

U.S. Border Patrol agents detained nearly 90 immigrants found walking near a canal in a South Texas city, including 50 children.

A Border Patrol statement Friday said all 86 people were apprehended in Hidalgo and are believed to be from Guatemala.

Agents based in nearby Weslaco saw a large group of people walking toward them on a trail Monday night. The statement says all of the detainees acknowledged being in the U.S. illegally.

The statement didn’t say how the immigrants got to the area or why they were traveling in a large group. A Border Patrol official didn’t immediately return a message Friday.

Separately, agents assigned to Rio Grande City confiscated about 1,350 pounds of marijuana after an SUV they were chasing crashed early Monday. The driver fled.