Amazing moment of migrant children shouting 'help me!' as they cross the Rio Grande into the US, just yards away from Chairman Mike Johnson on his journey to the border

A group of Venezuelan migrant children shouted 'help me!' as they crossed the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, just yards away from a group of more than 60 House Republicans crossing the border, which is overrun by illegal crossings.

The stunning event captured by DailyMail.com took place just feet away from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was briefed by Steve McGraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), as screams rang out from the river canyon.

The migrant children then threw peace signs at the camera, crawled up the riverbank and stepped through the concertina wire fence — which Biden wants to take down — and were captured by border agents.

Minutes later, a second group — this time consisting of a mother, father and children — crossed the river toward border agents just as Johnson and other Republican members began speaking at a news conference.

DailyMail.com captured the astonishing events on camera in real time, a stunning representation of the dire illegal migration situation facing border officials.

The family was led by what appeared to be a cartel agent. He led the family straight to the river and showed the border agents where to go.

“What happens is you'll see scouts on the other side of the river and they'll tell them exactly where to go,” McGraw had told lawmakers, who shook their heads in disbelief.

The migrant children then crawled onto the river bank and stepped through the concertina wire fence

Johnson described a number of events that had just occurred during the press conference, calling the border an “unmitigated disaster” and accusing President Biden and his administration of inaction, warning that the US is at a “breaking point.”

His trip to Eagle Pass came days after officials revealed that more than 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December, the highest number in a single month in history.

December's staggering figures also mark the first time encounters with migrants have exceeded 300,000. In 2020 there were only 400,000 crossings for the entire year.

“The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating,” the speaker said during the press conference with 64 Republicans in the House of Representatives.

During the riverside briefing, McGraw described in graphic detail the issue of “rape trees.” He said farmers are finding trees on their property strewn with women's clothing where migrant girls have been violently raped.

'They (cartels) live from that kind of violence. In fact, they could be teaching ISIS,” he said.

“What's happening is the cartel, they have a business model. What they do is force large groups of people to cross the border at the same time, overwhelming the Border Patrol, leaving an area wide open for them to push narcotics through.”

The family was led by what appeared to be a cartel agent. He led the family straight to the river and showed the border agents where to go

The stunning event occurred just feet away from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was being briefed by Steve McGraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), when the screams rang out from the river canyon.

McGraw went on to say that the cartels do not view migrants as people, but rather as “commodities.”

'It's no different than the drugs they smuggle. It's a commodity. They are going to take it to its destination,” he said.

The speaker further told reporters that officials told him they have “no idea how many terrorists have entered the country” and that they have set up terrorism cells across the country, endangering Americans across the country.

Johnson also scorched the Biden administration for attacking GOP Gov. Abbott's “dead level best” efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border — including by moving migrants out of the state to Democratic-run cities and for installing a barbed wire fence.

“Madness is the only word we can think of to describe this,” he said of the White House's ongoing efforts — recently appealed to the Supreme Court — to stop border agents from installing the wire fence.

Just minutes later, a second group – this time consisting of a mother, father and children – crossed the river to border agents

One of the migrant children shouting 'help me!' during the speaker's visit to the border

Johnson ignored the outcry and called the border an 'unmitigated disaster' at the press conference

Migrants are taken into custody by officials at the Texas-Mexico border in Eagle Pass on Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Even more migrants were taken into custody just steps away from Speaker Mike Johnson

Johnson also slammed Senate Democrats for not taking up House-passed HR 2, a tough immigration bill that would, among other things, force the Biden administration to resume construction of the border wall.

Republicans called on the administration to reinstate the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy and immediately begin deporting migrants who entered illegally.

We know what works and it is not 'rocket science', the speaker emphasized.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green called Mayorkas the “greatest threat to the national security and homeland security of the American people” during the news conference.

“He broke his oath to defend this country,” he continued.

Republicans plan to hold the first formal impeachment hearing with the secretary next week.