Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national on Monday after he attempted to achieve the American dream by donning scuba gear and navigating through the Colorado River into the United States.
In yet another creative, albeit dangerous, method migrants often employ to elude apprehension by the Border Patrol, one migrant’s attempt was quite unusual. Authorities arrested the migrant after he used his scuba gear to cross the border river that separates Mexico and Arizona.
The Colorado River flows into Mexico just outside the border city of Yuma near a popular crossing point at the Morelos Dam. The water is shallow at this location, allowing the migrants to walk or wade into the United States. Most migrants crossing through the Morelos Dam area willingly surrender to the Border Patrol, hoping to be released into the United States to pursue asylum claims.
A migrant thought he could sneak into the U.S. by using scuba diving equipment to cross the Colorado River, but our #vigilant agents sunk his plan. The migrant, a Mexican national, will be processed for return to Mexico. #YumaSector #YumaStation #BorderSecurityIsNationalSecurity pic.twitter.com/viTLvB7mN3
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle (@USBPChiefYUM) July 3, 2023
Yuma Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle described the event saying, “A migrant thought he could sneak into the U.S. by using scuba diving equipment to cross the Colorado River, but our vigilant agents sunk his plan.” According to a Twitter post by Caudle, the migrant will be returned to Mexico after his failed attempt to enter the United States.
Although most migrant rescues and deaths in the Yuma area are attributed to heat exhaustion and dehydration, crossing the Colorado River still poses a risk to migrants who use the waterway to center the United States. In June 2022, a five-year-old migrant child drowned while crossing the river after his mother handed the child off to another migrant while crossing the river.
The Border Patrol reported 1,800 migrant apprehensions in the area during the week of June 18-24. The migrants originated from 49 different countries according to Caudle. The number of rescues by the Border Patrol between October 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, stands at more than 24,000.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, four migrants were rescued in the desert near Tucson on June 27, and two other migrants were rescued near Yuma on June 23.
Some migrants attempting to cross into the United States have not been so lucky. In Texas, the Department of Public Safety Marine Tactical Unit (TMU) recovered the bodies of four drowned migrants from the waters of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass within 48 hours. The deceased included an infant and three adult migrants. The drownings were recorded in three separate events, according to a DPS spokesperson.
In 2022, the Border Patrol recorded nearly 900 migrant deaths along the southwest border. The staggering migrant death count in 2022 led to a United Nations declaration calling the U.S./Mexico Border the deadliest land border crossing for migrants in the world. Historically, the most common causes of migrant deaths involve drownings, heat-related emergencies, and vehicle accidents.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.