[car horn honking]
It's gonna be a busy day today.
[narrator] In Progreso,
CBP officers are preparing for their busiest shift
of the year.
Radio check, radio check, radio check, SRT.
Thank you guys for coming out today.
All right -- it's gonna be a busy day for us.
If we get anything that needs medical attention or whatever,
we'll bring them to you guys.
The annual Tourist Day Festival celebrates the thousands
of Americans who migrate to the warmer Rio Grande Valley
in Texas during the winter months.
This is the 50th anniversary, so we are expecting
a ton of people.
On a standard Saturday, we always look at about
7,000 pedestrians.
Today we're looking at about 11,000,
maybe 13,000, 14,000.
We really don't know.
But at a celebration fueled by alcohol and drugs...
With that many peds, the priority is to get people
in and out as fast as possible. That liquid courage gets ugly.
We've seen it happen before, OK?
...officers must deal with party-goers who have had
one too many.
We got Weslaco EMTs here as well, so we can rely on them
if anything comes up.
If it does get a little hotter, we'll see tensions rise
because being drunk makes you feel like Superman
and the heat makes you mad.
And smugglers looking to blend into the crowd.
Today's a perfect day to try and smuggle anything that
you want in, so right now anything and everything
is suspicious. -OK guys, here we go.
[Moya] Get your radios, guys.
This is serious.
Keep your eyes peeled.
Don't let anything go unnoticed.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Let's get the show on the road.
-K-9 to secondary. -We found something.
-Mike, Mike. -Go ahead.
Powder.
[traveler] Are we gonna be put in jail?
[officer] We have to do what we have to do.
Would you like to take a picture?
-I do. -[laughing]
One, two, there you go.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
The seasonal residents, known as winter Texans,
drive local economies on both sides of the border.
Tourist Day, Tourist Day, in Progreso!
And Tourist Day is a way of
thanking them for their loyalty.
[mariachi band plays]
[speaking in Spanish]
[mariachi band sings in Spanish]
The abrazo ceremony, meaning "hug" or "embrace"
in Spanish, officially marks the start of
the day's festivities.
[Garza] The American side's gonna walk over to the middle of
the bridge as a gesture of
working together with the Mexican side.
Which then continues over in the Mexican border town
of Nuevo Progreso.
[speaking in Spanish]
[clapping]
[Moya] So, the majority of the crowd is going to follow the music
straight into Mexico, where the celebration
continues, and there will be a lot of street vendors.
There will be some free drinks, some free shots,
and that's one of our biggest challenges on this side,
you know, so, hopefully, we don't deal with too many people
displaying their liquid courage.
We're OK to release southbound traffic.
[officer over radio] 10-4.
But while the event attracts thousands of
legitimate visitors...
Free margarita, the $2 bags, and the $15 pedicures.
Documents ready, please?
-Have a good day. -All right, you too, man.
Thank you. Sir! [indistinct].
Officers at the bridge must remain vigilant for traffickers
looking to exploit the busy conditions.
Where's the medication?
That's all you're bringing?
What are they for?
What's it for?
Pain? You have a prescription?
You have it?
Not with me.
The man has declared one packet of gabapentin
and one bottle of tramadol,
both prescription medications.
Anything else in your pockets there?
-Just follow me, sir. -All right.
Despite being within the permitted quantities,
the traveler's nervous behavior prompts Officer Ortega
to refer him to secondary.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Sorry about that.
You know, he's bringing medication.
He's telling me he has a prescription.
Doesn't have it on him.
The way he's dressed, his pants were baggy.
You know, so I want to make sure that there's nothing
hidden in there that we can't see.
You have anything else in your pocket?
You can put it over here.
Yeah.
Are you declaring the only tramadol that you have on you right now?
Nothing else in your pockets?
Did you say nothing else on you?
All right, sir, we're gonna stand up real quick, real quick.
We're gonna go in here real fast.
We're gonna do a pat-down on you.
[indistinct]
With an average age of 74...
Hello.
...winter Texans typically range anywhere
from 55 to 90 years old.
I'm gonna take your photo real quick.
OK.
-Did I break your camera? -No, you can take a seat, sir.
Remember, these are Winter Texans.
They're older folks.
Some of them will come back early,
some of them will come back a little bit later.
Our main goal is for everybody to have a good time, be safe.
You know, again, it's their day.
[metallic crunch]
It's just past 11 o'clock, but the first party-goers
are already heading back into the US.
There's a car hitting other cars.
And it seems one man may have had one drink too many.
[speaking in Spanish]
-Hold on, hold on, hold on! -[heavy thud]
Whoo!
[officer over radio] 7-30 with two vehicles.
[Perez] I think they got a drunk guy up there hitting other cars.
11:20.
Pretty early to be drunk.
I don't know what he's doing over there.
[heavy thud]
Oh my god. Did he hit someone else?
He's drunk?
Based off of what we saw,
an older gentleman hit three cars.
He hit this car right here, that pickup truck,
and then that other sedan.
He hit you?
[speaking in Spanish]
If found to be under the influence, the driver risks
being charged with DUI and having
his license suspended.
-Hey, come on. -How you doing?
Your medicine should always be on top, meaning that way
it's faster access for us.
Back in the pat-down room,
officers are searching a nervous traveler to check
that he isn't concealing any other pills on his body.
Trafficking networks frequently use
everyday travelers to move small quantities
of narcotics or pills.
Partially declaring medication is sometimes used as
a diversion to reduce suspicion.
If more drugs are found concealed
on the traveler's body,
he could face federal smuggling charges
and serious penalties.
The search is clear.
All right, sir, come on, put on your shoes.
But officers' attention turns
to the pills the man claims are tramadol.
Concerned he could be smuggling
a far more dangerous substance...
[Rodriguez] Coming from Mexico, what we're seeing
is small, pink undisclosed pills
and different medication bottles for US prescriptions.
When we test those, those have come out positive for fentanyl.
2 [speaking in Spanish]
Across the border in Nuevo Progreso, the Tourist Day
festivities are well underway.
-We love Progreso, mwah! -We love Progreso!
And back at the bridge,
the events are keeping officers busy.
[Garza] Getting a little crazy over here, man.
The alcohol is starting to kick in.
Everybody wants to pop, lock, and drop it right now.
-Over here! -Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey, Winter Texan Day appreciation!
We're moving along really good, and no fighting.
[indistinct]
While local PD deals with
a marital dispute in the parking lot...
[indistinct]
...Officer Trevino is patrolling mid-bridge.
We have a lot of people today, and today we're just trying to
keep everybody -- like, prevent the fights.
People drink a lot.
They start bumping into people, and then that's where
the fights start happening.
[speaking in Spanish]
She grabbed me, and that one right there
in the [indistinct] -- she grabbed me and, yeah, look.
That right there.
Two women have clashed on their way back into the US.
She's saying that I taunted her, whatever.
She assaulted me. She assaulted me.
Look, she assaulted me. That lady, yeah.
[indistinct chatter]
[Trevino] OK, guys, small group going into peds.
-10-4. -We'll just be ready for them.
It's not too many.
As officers prepare to intercept the women at
the pedestrian gates, outside in vehicle primary...
I didn't see it. I didn't see it.
They just said, "Oh, it's OK," and they left.
...local PD is still deciding whether to charge
an older driver with DUI.
It's nice that we have the constables here today backing us up.
They're here to enforce all those laws, so they're able to
do their job here and nip it before it gets out of hand
further down the road.
[speaking in Spanish]
He's real disoriented. He's real disoriented.
I mean, he shouldn't be behind the wheel.
So I'm gonna take his keys.
The more officers speak with the veteran, the clearer it
becomes that this doesn't appear to be intoxication.
I got you. I got you.
[indistinct]
Go ahead and have a seat. Have a seat. Have a seat.
From what I see, he's very disoriented.
At times, he didn't know where he was.
He was all over.
He says he's fine, but we visibly can see that
something is not right.
Having been given the all clear by medics and satisfied
the veteran isn't intoxicated, he won't be facing DUI charges.
But after causing multiple fender benders at mid-bridge,
he won't be driving himself home.
[Peralez] We didn't feel safe letting him drive home the way he was.
So he's going home safely with his family member.
This is our first call for medical.
It is early. It's just gonna get worse.
While EMTs prepare for medical calls to ramp up...
[indistinct chatter]
...inside the pat-down room,
concern is growing that a man may be trying to smuggle
fentanyl disguised as pain medication.
So we had an individual that presented two
different medications.
One was supposed to be tramadol, and tramadol comes in
a variety of pill colors.
I've seen white and blue, yellow and blue,
small white pills, but the officer hadn't seen
those pink tramadol pills before.
So right now what we're seeing is different colored pills
being smuggled, laced with fentanyl.
Fifty times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger
than morphine, a lethal dose of fentanyl can be as small as
a few grains of salt.
Its extreme potency means only tiny amounts of fentanyl
can produce thousands of pills,
cutting costs and driving massive profits
for drug trafficking networks.
One last option we have is to go ahead and test that
medication, make sure it is what's on the bottle
and not something else.
The man insists what he has is tramadol.
But if tests confirm fentanyl, he could face
federal smuggling charges and a lengthy prison sentence.
In 2025, the DEA seized more than 47 million
fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
After testing the pills, they came out as tramadol.
Reassured that his pills are legitimate,
the man is free to go home.
Thank you.
Meanwhile, at pedestrian primary...
She assaulted me!
...officers are dealing with a dispute between two women.
There was a group of females.
They had gotten into an altercation.
One of our biggest concerns is the fact that they do serve
free alcohol all day long.
A lot of our parties are coming back intoxicated.
Knowing that both of the parties want to
press charges on each other,
I brought one of the Progreso police officers in with me.
The alleged assault took place
on the Mexican side of the border,
meaning any charges
would need to be pressed with Mexican authorities.
[officer] It's completely understandable, however...
I do understand the concept that
if it happened in another country, you would have to file
with their law enforcement division.
So if it happened over there,
you've got to report it to them.
There's customs.
Exactly.
That's up to you, ma'am.
As officers take statements from both parties...
I think that's [bleep] that they come --
Ma'am, if you want to go and step over there.
Yeah, I know.
...one of the women becomes increasingly confrontational.
It's in your best interest to just sit down.
Oh, really? I was assaulted over there.
Sit down. Sit down.
We're gonna get you in a little bit.
Yeah, I was assaulted over there.
Why are you holding me? Why?
She assaulted me.
And it's OK with all you guys?
[bleep]!
Yeah, call your cousin David, the cop.
-Call him, call him. -What are you doing?
-Take me. Take me. -There's nobody else?
-Yeah, they assaulted me over there. -There's more inside.
And you know what? They're not getting arrested.
I am getting arrested. I'm getting arrested!
So in speaking to both parties, it was determined that
there was indeed an assault that took place.
However, one of the parties, she is highly intoxicated.
She is being disruptive.
She's being vulgar and ultimately disrupting
the other inspections taking place at the time.
The Progreso police officer is going to move forward with
an arrest or public intoxication.
The woman is transported to the local jail, where she faces
public intoxication charges,
punishable with a fine up to $500.
-Tourist Day! Thank you very much. -Hey!
Peace out.
[Garza] We got a lot more people coming in from Mexico,
and I'm sure we're gonna be getting waves of people
who are in a very good, happy mood.
Alcohol is in the air.
2 [indistinct chatter]
Nuevo Progreso! Whoo-hoo!
It's three o'clock.
Take it easy on my cone.
And as revelers continue to
make their way home from Mexico...
...the full impact of the Tourist Day celebrations
are being felt at the bridge.
Is that what, like, number three today?
Today is pretty much like if you get Friday,
Saturday, Sunday on a typical weekend and just cram it all
into one day. That's what today is.
-Photobomb! -That's right.
You know, everything that can pretty much come, that has come
in through here, it's coming through here today,
while the streets of Nuevo Progreso have been full
of carnival stalls and party-goers...
What do you have, ma'am?
...more than 100 pharmacies selling cheap medication
have remained open for business.
[Perez] Today is a Tourist Day.
People are coming in all day, and a lot of people try to get
by with some of the medication
that they're not supposed to have.
And they think because we're in a hurry,
they might get through.
Whose are these?
Why didn't you declare them?
You said medication.
Yeah, but you didn't tell me Xanax.
Xanax is a controlled substance, meaning travelers
must declare it at the border and are limited to bringing
no more than 50 pills every 30 days.
And you have more in the other bag?
Because you said there was another bag, no?
A search of the travelers' bags reveals it's not just
Xanax she is bringing in.
I have tramadol, I have Acxion, I have Xanax.
Since you failed to declare that, just follow me.
Failure to declare a controlled substance is
a criminal offense, meaning she could face
seizure of the medication,
fines, or even criminal charges.
OK.
With the secondary inspection rooms at full capacity,
the woman is handed over to Officer Perez, who will conduct
a further inspection outside.
While the woman's fate is determined outside,
lines continue to build inside.
-Are you a citizen, sir? -Yes, sir.
-What's your name? Stand on the yellow. -[indistinct]
...and officers are on the lookout for criminals that
use the Tourist Day crowds as cover to slip back into
the United States.
Can you remove your glasses and put them here?
Your glasses and jewelry as well.
-[machine beeps] -Stand by.
This afternoon, one traveler has caught officers' attention.
So we have this woman who was just sent in for enforcement.
She got sent in because her story was a little...
suspicious.
You want to try some of this?
She wasn't able to specify why she went to Mexico.
There was no real story.
She claims she doesn't remember what she did over there.
But they always have a reason for going and coming,
or at least they can articulate it.
So two female officers are about to do a pat down,
make sure that she doesn't have anything on her body
she's not supposed to.
Here in a minute, we're gonna find out exactly what she was doing in Mexico.
OK. -Mm-hmm.
You can put your shoes back on.
The pat down reveals nothing of concern.
Over there.
But a background check suggests she may be concealing
something else from officers.
Are you aware that you do have a warrant for your arrest?
No?
OK. Do you have any unpaid tickets?
A court date that you didn't show up to?
Anything that you might have gotten in trouble for?
I'm gonna put your stuff in here, OK?
OK.
You're gonna be detained until we get confirmation from
whoever has the warrant for you.
So we've gotta wait.
-OK. -Thank you.
Outstanding warrants can be issued for offenses ranging
from minor violations to serious felonies.
Usually when people come in, they start asking about
legal counsel.
It's people who have either been arrested before or
they know they have something pending.
So it's gonna be interesting to find out whether
she actually does know what's going on.
Either way, we're about to find out exactly what
the warrant is for.
[officer speaking over radio]
What do you got?
[officer over radio speaking]
10-4.
We just got a call over the radio.
There's an ambulance coming over with a patient.
A gentleman passed out over there.
He's a US citizen, so we've got
to get him checked out over here.
Mexican paramedics have picked up a 74-year-old man
who collapsed while over on the Mexican side
in Nuevo Progreso.
While the medical team checks over the patient,
Officer Peralez checks in with his wife and brother,
who have traveled with him in the ambulance.
[Peralez] One drink?
OK, I'm gonna get you some water.
-Have you consumed alcohol? -[brother speaking]
You have? OK.
It's all three of them. They're all intoxicated.
They had a little bit too much to drink.
Heat, all that comes into play.
They've been over there since 9 in the morning.
So it's been a while, that they've been over there.
-Yeah. -Are you doing good?
Yeah. Have some fun back there?
You have some fun over there?
Too much fun. Can you walk?
You hope so? OK, do you think you can walk if we help you up?
OK, so just give me a second.
With the patient now stabilized by EMT,
the question turns to how the trio is getting home.
-Who's driving? -[brother speaking]
Who's driving home?
You are. That might be a little problem.
You are intoxicated.
So it's just a little concern.
So if you can get someone to come pick you guys up,
that would be best. All right?
-They cannot leave. -OK.
They cannot drive off.
As the intoxicated trio tries to find a ride home,
in the passport control lobby...
She hyperventilating?
...officers are dealing with an Australian citizen who has
failed to produce the correct entry documents
on a return from Mexico.
And is now having a panic attack.
We have a traveler who showed up today.
She's coming back from Mexico, but she doesn't have her proper
entry documents, which is a legal thing.
You need those to come into the country.
She's not a US citizen,
so for her, she needs a passport from
her country and then a visa from our country allowing
her to come into the United States.
Her visa is her ticket into the country.
The Australian traveled to Mexico
for the Tourist Day celebrations,
hoping to blow off some steam after a tough few months.
She claims she has a valid US visa,
allowing her to reenter the country.
But she doesn't have it with her.
OK.
I left my whole life for him.
So, so yeah.
Sometimes if you don't have the proper documentation,
the only thing that we can do is to actually deport you for
you to go back to the country.
I think she might have gotten a little bit caught up on
the reality of that, and maybe that kind of
pushed her anxiety over the edge,
and now she's having a panic attack.
But it's very important for you to have your documents when
you come to the country.
If her visa can't be verified,
the Australian could be denied entry,
leaving her stranded
and facing a return to Australia.
2 It's late afternoon and the Tourist Day
celebrations in Nuevo Progreso
are beginning to wind down.
I had such a great time, I love it.
Best day ever. We'll come back many times.
Love you.
With thousands of visitors still to return,
the pace shows no sign of letting up.
Whoo!
I'd like to think that this, the storm has blown over,
the worst of it, but history has taught us that
no, it's just gonna get a little bit worse.
Outside in the parking lot...
You're welcome. That's what we're here for.
...one group of party-goers who have all had too much to
drink has found a ride home.
Oh. Oh.
You're welcome. They owe you dinner.
Meanwhile, Officer Perez is dealing with a woman attempting
to carry excess pills across the border.
As the traveler is let off with a warning,
inside in the passport control lobby...
Ma'am, you look a lot better.
...Officer Alvarado is processing an Australian citizen
who claims she has a valid visa, but has no documents
to prove it.
I'm glad you've calmed down.
-Thank you, sir. -You're welcome.
We were able to give her something to calm
herself down. It helped out immensely.
Now that she's a little bit more calm,
we're able to get some more information.
She did have her driver's license, which she was able to
identify herself, and through that, we were able
to find what kind of visa she had to be here legally.
In her case, she has one where she's able to live here.
Although officers have confirmed she has a valid visa,
it's still not enough to gain entry.
She needs that actual visa and that passport.
She can't just come in with just a driver's license.
So we're gonna go and see if there's any way we can come up
with her proper entry documents.
If you want to call your friend...
Can I try calling her?
-Try, try calling her. -Thank you, sir.
You're welcome. Do you have her phone number?
I do. She's my best friend.
So right now we're waiting to see if her friend can go home,
pick it up, bring that document back over here, so that way
she can actually come into the United States legally.
With her passport back home over an hour away,
everything now depends on
a friend getting it to the border.
Ma'am, are you able to contact your friend?
Yeah, she's on her way. She's got my passport.
OK, good, good, good.
OK, sounds good. Thank you.
My friend got to pick it up at my new house, with my --
well, my girls are waiting for me,
my dogs.
And this was to be my last trip over the border
because my visa expires.
I can't go out of the country after that.
So I didn't think there'd be a problem.
And I came here and met friends and we had a great day.
So I don't regret it.
We're just waiting for the friend to show up with
her document, and once she gets here, we'll just
verify that it's not damaged
or modified in any way,
and as long as everything's in order, she'll be home soon.
As her passport makes its way to the border, her return home
is one step closer.
Meanwhile, Officer Alvarado turns his attention back to
the woman wanted on an outstanding warrant.
Did you know you have anything pending?
[indistinct]
Is that news to you?
You're a nurse, right?
OK, we're about to find out.
We're gonna fingerprint you, right?
OK, so you want to stand up?
So let me see your left hand.
The nurse's fingerprints will be checked against
a public database to ensure it's a match.
OK, so let me see this thumb.
In 2025, authorities arrested more than 11,700 people
with outstanding warrants at US ports of entry.
OK, have a seat for me, please.
The system confirms the warrant is a match.
Issued out of the Portland, Oregon Police Department
for a hit-and-run.
Do you remember anything about that, more or less?
At their most serious,
hit-and-run charges are a Class B felony,
carrying a 10-year prison sentence.
The next step is we call Portland, and we let them know
that you're here, that you're detained.
And if they wish to pick you up, I'm gonna let you know.
But for right now, I'm gonna have to place you back
at the cell. OK?
So follow me this way.
The alleged incident happened
in the nurse's hometown of Portland,
more than 3,500 miles away.
Hi, there sir, this is Progreso, Texas port of entry.
Her fate now lies with authorities there,
who will determine whether she will be taken into custody
tonight before being extradited to Portland.
OK.
You got it.
Yes, sir, thank you.
2 Easy, Sergeant Pepper. Easy, boy.
Easy, easy.
As the sun sets in Progreso,
most of the party-goers have made their way back.
The Tourist Day here was definitely a success.
I'm very happy that most of the people coming through here
had a good time and they went on their way home safely.
Between all the agencies that were working here together in
collaboration, I feel like this year was a very good example of
what we should be doing, which is working together
with local authorities and the medical staff
and fire department.
Because when we work together, we cover all our bases.
14 years I've been here, first few years that I was
here, it was, it was...
nothing like this year. This year was, it was perfect.
I think it was perfect.
I am tired. My feet are hurting me.
I had to run a few times to get some medical emergencies,
but it was a good day. It was a good day.
I am gonna go home and rest and I'll be back tomorrow.
The end of the shift is in sight for Officer Alvarado.
But before he can go home,
there are still two travelers left to process.
As the nurse waits to find out if she'll be extradited...
The passport's here.
...the Australian finally receives the delivery
she's been waiting for.
We have it.
-Ma'am, we have some good news. -Yes, I know I can go home.
-All right, so, that's you, it's you. -Oh, yes.
I told you I'm here legally.
So what we're gonna do is we're just gonna update
the information to how it is on your passport.
Yes.
Only my parents call me that name.
-Really? -Yes.
So keep in mind that your visa's actually expired at
the end of this month. -I know.
Hopefully it will be renewed.
And that's it, just like that.
Ma'am, welcome to the United States.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
And we'll escort you out.
I know she had mentioned that she was having some troubles at
home and she wanted to go leave the country, unwind, just for
a little bit, go to Mexico to this little tourist town
and come back home.
In her case, it just happened to be that she didn't have
the document that she was supposed to,
but thankfully we were able to get her the documents
that she needs.
She's good to go and she'll be home soon.
You got it.
You're good.
She was very anxious to go home to her puppies.
I think she was just relieved.
And hopefully when she gets home to her puppies, this will
be the end to a great day.
But as one traveler heads home,
the other faces a very different outcome.
-Wanted for a hit-and-run... -Ma'am?
...the nurse is taken into custody in Hidalgo County,
where she'll remain until she's extradited
3,500 miles to Portland.
I just got confirmation from originating agency that
they will pick her up. She will be extradited.
OK.
So the local county showed up and they were able
to pick up the subject.
So she's gonna get to Hidalgo County, meet up
with her family there and see if she can bond out,
or that was her hopes.
Well, I think we all came into today knowing it was gonna
be a long and tiring day.
But we did our job and at the end of the day,
everything turned out all right.