A two-day search led Border Patrol agents and other officials to rescue an undocumented migrant who became injured after crossing the Arizona border with Mexico.
The Border Patrol agents from the Tucson Sector teamed up with helicopter crews from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO), and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) to search for the Honduran national who fell from a steep cliff southwest of Three Points, Arizona.
The agents were alerted to the migrant’s condition Sunday night after a man already in custody reported his “traveling partner” had been left behind when he broke his ankle in the fall. The accident occurred in the Baboquivari Mountains, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from CBP officials.
Agents assigned to the Border Patrol Search and Trauma Team (BORSTAR) were placed on alert. Officials stated the helicopter search could not begin until early Monday. Agents were able to ascertain the general area where the migrant was believed to have fallen and eventually located the man late in the day.
Due to the hazardous terrain, agents were forced to rappel into the area from an AMO Blackhawk helicopter. Unfortunately, the agents were not able to reach the injured migrant by foot as he was about 400 feet below the cliff’s edge, officials stated.
They determined the safest approach would be to utilize a hoist extraction. As darkness set in, the agents established a remote command-post and summoned a high-altitude rescue helicopter for the following morning.
An Arizona DPS helicopter arrived early Tuesday morning and trooper/paramedics heli-rappelled to the injured man’s location. He was stabilized and prepared by the paramedic for transportation.
The teamwork of the BORSTAR agents, AMO helicopter crews and the DPS troopers allowed the injured migrant to be successfully hoisted from the area. He was transported by helicopter to an area hospital where he received treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
After reaching the hospital, the agents confirmed the man’s identity. They determined the 42-year-old man was a Honduran national and was illegally present in the U.S. He will be processed for removal after his medical needs are met.
Border Patrol agents frequently put their lives in danger while patrolling the border and rescuing migrants who may be in distress. This is despite the fact that Border Patrol agents are the most assaulted in federal law enforcement, according to testimony by Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Breitbart Texas reported. Assaults against agents rose by 230 percent in the early part of this fiscal year.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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