Late on June 21 Brewster County deputies conducted a traffic stop on an RV near the Big Bend National Park entrance on Texas Highway 118 south of Study Butte. The vehicle was occupied by 49 illegal aliens from Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico, along with two U.S. citizens, including the driver.

During the encounter, two suspects fled, but were later apprehended. The aliens were referred to U.S. Border Patrol agents for processing and deportation. The smugglers are being investigated by Homeland Security, and the suspects who fled are being charged with evading arrest by Brewster County deputies.