The search for 18-year-old Agusto Gutierrez came to a tragic end on Saturday morning. As reported by the FOXSA, a source close to the investigation confirmed the recovery of his body near International Bridge II, following his disappearance amidst severe flooding in Eagle Pass. Gutierrez was last seen on May 8, 2025, after his vehicle was caught in a flood, leading to his attempted escape on foot before being overcome by the current.
The Eagle Pass Police Department received initial reports of the incident on Thursday afternoon when Gutierrez's black Honda Civic was found submerged in a drainage system. Details from a press conference reported by Express News, streamed by local media page EPTXN, shed light on the conditions during the storm, where the floodwater posed a significant risk to responders. A family member chronicled on Facebook that Gutierrez "got out of his vehicle" after it was trapped, providing his last known appearance.
In the effort to locate the teenager, initiatives included the deployment of drones and K-9 units. Dive teams also joined the search, and the vehicle was eventually found lodged beneath a bridge. The discovery of Gutierrez's remains in the Rio Grande River, as detailed by the FOXSA, brought a sorrowful closure to the intensive search operation.
Local support for the Gutierrez family was evident, with Eagle Pass city council member Monica J. Cruz updating the community through Facebook on the search efforts, echoing that, "Every possible effort has been made." The family's plea for volunteers to join the search was met with a coordinated assembly at the Eagle Pass Golf Course on Friday morning. Cruz also noted that law enforcement across the border in Piedras Negras had offered their assistance amidst their own flood challenges, including a dramatic rescue captured in social media videos that bore witness to the shared struggle of the region. Furthermore, the incident came on the heels of another flood-related fatality earlier in the week in Brenham, where a 10-year-old girl was also tragically swept away.
As the community reckons with this loss, the Eagle Pass Police Department continues to urge anyone with further information to come forward. They can be reached at their standing line, (830) 773-9044. Meanwhile, Gutierrez's family has been notified and is now faced with the task of grieving a young life cut needlessly short, a stark reminder of the peril that natural disasters can wreak upon unsuspecting lives.
