Bodies of the undocumented found on Texas ranch

Deadly border crossings: Bodies of immigrants discovered on Texas ranch

President Obama travels to Texas Wednesday to meet with Gov. Rick Perry and other local leaders about the recent spike in undocumented immigrants crossing into the country. But, as CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports, ranchers along the border say the problem has been building for years -- with deadly consequences.

Lavoyger Durham manages a 13,000 acre ranch in Brooks County, about 100 miles from the southernmost tip of Texas. It's become a pathway for undocumented immigrants.

He showed CBS News one spot where they rest. Water bottles and clothes are scattered between the trees.

Durham said 15 to 20 people would stop there at least once a week.

He set up a water station to help prevent deaths, but in the last two weeks, he's discovered two bodies.

"Somebody lost a loved one, you know, and some family member down there, wherever it was, doesn't even know that this guy died," Durham said.

The 100-degree heat means more bodies are being found.

The deaths are tracked by the county's chief deputy, Benny Martinez.

A binder documents 37 bodies found so far this year, the youngest being that of a 19-year-old from Honduras.

"I just can't understand why we're letting this happen," Martinez said.

Though it's not on the border, Brooks County does have a federal checkpoint on a major highway. Smugglers bypass the checkpoint by making immigrants walk around it, through private ranches.

Three-hundred bodies have been found in the county since 2011.

"They're not equipped to do the journey," Martinez said. "They're told that it's quick, they're told that it's easy, and it's not. Not with this weather, not with the terrain."

The surge of men, women and children has been building in south Texas for five years. And while National Guard helicopters with infrared cameras can pinpoint a group's location, border agents can only capture so many.

"As long as this immigration reform issue doesn't have closure to it, they're going to keep coming," Martinez said.

Ranchers like Durham expect the death toll to keep rising.

2012 was the deadliest year in Brooks County, with 129 bodies recovered. Deputies say they are on track to reach at least 100 this year.

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