Border Patrol agents are increasingly rescuing illegal immigrants after they are abandoned in the hot climates along the border in Arizona and Texas.
Increasing heat in the month of May brought an increase in the rescue of illegal immigrants who are abandoned by human smugglers in life-threatening conditions. Agents successfully stopped 130 people from dying after they became lost or stranded in the desert. Eight of the endangered migrants notified Border Patrol agents of their situation by activating one of the 34 rescue beacons in the region. Border Patrol agents maintain the beacons so that immigrants can stop at a known location when they become too weak to proceed, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Border Patrol officials.
“It is physically impossible for the average person to carry enough water to survive several days walking through Arizona’s desert during this time of the year,” Border Patrol officials said. When the people run out of water and become too weak to keep up with their group, the callous human smugglers simply abandon them and leave them to die in the desert.
The rescue beacons provide a reliable way for the illegal immigrants to guide Border Patrol agents to their location for assistance.
The Tucson Sector employs 275 emergency medical technician trained agents. In addition, 20 Border Patrol agents are certified as paramedics.
The agents carried out 130 rescues of people who were stranded or lost in the desert in May, officials reported. This brought the total number of rescues since October 1, 2017, to 524. Those numbers are expected to increase quickly as the hot days of summer approach.
Nearly 700 migrants have been rescued in the Laredo Sector during the same time period, Breitbart Texas reported. The rescues occurred along the Rio Grand River, in ranches where migrants attempt to circumvent Border Patrol immigration checkpoints, also in cars, trucks, and 18-wheelers.
In one example, agents assigned to the Cotulla Station and the Laredo Horse Patrol Unit rescued an illegal immigrant on a ranch located northwest of Laredo. The agents came upon the man while tracking a group of illegal immigrants who had just crossed the border. The agents treated the man for dehydration. The Mexican national also claimed to have been assaulted by his human smuggler. After addressing the man’s immediate medical needs, the agents transported him to a hospital for further treatment.
In another case, Laredo North agents responded to a call for assistance from an illegal immigrant who became lost on a ranch located northwest of the Texas border town. After being abandoned by his human smuggler and wandering in the brush for three days without food or water, the Mexican national finally called for help on May 9. Agents located the Guatemalan national and found him suffering from dehydration and severe foot blisters. An agent trained in emergency medicine treated the man.
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, GAB, and Facebook.
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