Human Smugglers Leave Migrant Teen with Broken Leg to Die in California

Human smugglers abandoned a 17-year-old Mexican girl after she broke her leg while illegally entering the U.S. The agents found the girl after arresting a pair of illegal immigrants who reported her situation.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector came upon a pair of people walking north near the California border town of Calexico. The agents observed the two migrants walking northbound from the border area east of the border community, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

The agents questioned the individuals and determined they illegally jumped over the border wall. The illegal immigrants admitted their border crossing and told the agents they had left a young girl behind when she could not keep up because she became injured at the wall.

Agents executed a search and backtracked the path taken and found a semi-conscious woman lying face down in the dirt. The agents examined the woman and determined that she broke her lower leg when she jumped over the wall, officials stated.

Agents trained as emergency medical technicians responded to the scene and began to treat the young Mexican girl who appeared to fade in and out of consciousness. They treated her for fatigue, dehydration, active bleeding, and a broken lower leg.

Local first responders came to the scene and transported the Mexican national to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment, officials stated. She will likely be processed for immigration violations after her recovery.

The other Mexican nationals apprehended in this case will also likely be processed for immigration violations.