Record number of migrants seized at U.S. southern border: media

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States has set a new record of 2.3 million migrant apprehensions at its southern border over the last 12 months, the National Public Radio (NPR) has reported, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures.

The annual total -- which includes people who were stopped at the border more than once -- jumped by 37 percent from 1.7 million the year before, NPR said.

Drowning and heat exhaustion are currently among the top causes of death of border-crossers into the United States, according to Border Patrol figures.

Because of strained diplomatic ties and costs, the United States has also faced the dilemma of being unable to return migrants to Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua.