One Migrant Dead, 4 Rescued in 100+ Degree Heat near Border in Texas

Laredo South Station Border Patrol agents and Rio Bravo Fired Department EMS workers tend
Photo: U.S. Border Patrol/Laredo Sector
Bob Price

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents rescued four migrants who fell victim to the 100+ degree heat after crossing the border from Mexico into Texas. One died after being treated in the field and transported to a Laredo, Texas, hospital.

As temperatures along the Rio Grande border with Mexico climbed above 100 degrees, Laredo South Station officials began receiving multiple distress calls from migrants succumbing to the heat, according to information obtained from Laredo Sector Border Patrol officials.

Laredo Police Department dispatchers contacted Border Patrol officials regarding a female migrant in severe heat distress. The agents quickly found the woman and began treating her for heat-related illness.

A Border Patrol agent trained an Emergency Medical Technician treated the woman while other agents summoned an ambulance. The EMS crew transported the woman to a Laredo hospital where doctors pronounced her deceased.

Not far away, a migrant triggered a Mobile Rescue Beacon (MRB). The MRB provides agents the exact location of the distressed migrant.

Agents quickly responded to the location and found the migrant. A medical assessment revealed the migrant to be in good health. The agents transported him to the station for processing.

At about the same time, Laredo Sector dispatchers notified agents of two more migrants who had fallen victim to the heat. A few minutes later, Zapata County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers notified officials about additional migrants in distress in the same area.

Officials dispatched a helicopter aircrew from CBP’s Air and Marine Operations. The aircrew assisted the agents in finding the distressed migrants. The quick response prevented the migrants from falling prey heat-related injury.

“Yesterday we highlighted Laredo Sector’s new Mobile Rescue Beacons (MRB) in national news.  Today, this new technology saved a life.  The U.S. Border Patrol will always prioritize human life.  It is vital to remember that the only safe place to cross the border is through a designated Port of Entry,” Laredo Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Carl E. Landrum said in a written statement.

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