Border Patrol Agents Rescue Migrant Minor in Desert

Border Patrol agents in southern California rescued an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) who was reportedly lost in the desert after crossing the border from Mexico.

Communications operators assigned to the El Centro Sector received a call about a boy claiming to be lost in the desert. The 17-year-old migrant had called 911 from a cell phone at about 5 p.m. local time on December 7. California Highway Patrol officials relayed the GPS coordinates and phone number to the Border Patrol, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

The communications team quickly dispatched Border Patrol agents to the area. The agents carried out an initial search for the young man but were unable to locate him. Phone contact was re-established with the teen and agents were able to locate him shortly thereafter.

Agents checked the medical condition of the teen and determined he was not in need of medical assistance. An interview with the young man determined he was an Unaccompanied Alien Child from Guatemala. He admitted to crossing the U.S. border illegally earlier in the day. He told the agents he had crossed by himself. He said he was not part of a larger group.

It is not uncommon for human smugglers to abandon people they are smuggling if they become injured or cannot keep up with the group. The UAC said that was not the case in his situation.

“The desert can be an unforgiving place,” Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector Rodney S. Scott said in a written statement. “Thanks to the quick response of our dedicated agents, this child did not have to suffer the consequences that can arise from being lost in the desert.”

The El Centro Sector saw the highest increase of UACs crossing the border from Mexico in the first month of the new fiscal year which started on October 1. Year-to-Date numbers for FY 2017 reveal that 203 UACs were apprehended in this sector alone. This is up from 78 the year before and 35 in FY 2015. The new numbers represent a 167 percent increase. These statistics were provided in a report from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson that was previously reported by Breitbart Texas.

This is the fourth rescue of an illegal immigrant by agents in the El Centro Sector since the beginning of FY 2017.

Officials stated the 17-year-old Guatemalan will be processed for removal proceedings.

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.