One Migrant Dead, 3 Rescued After Human Smugglers Abandon Them in South Texas

Border Patrol agents in South Texas attempted to rescue four illegal immigrants after they were abandoned on a ranch near the border town of Laredo. One of the migrants died before he could be transported to a hospital.

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents received a 911 call from a group of illegal aliens claiming to be lost on a ranch located west of Laredo. Agents immediately initiated a search and rescue operation. With the help of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and Army National Guard aircrews, the agents quickly located the four lost individuals, according to Laredo Sector Border Patrol officials.

Once on the scene, the agents observed one of the illegal immigrants to be in need of serious medical aid. The agents quickly transported the man to a roadway where an emergency medical technician Border Patrol agent provided aid while awaiting an emergency medical helicopter to transport the man to an area hospital.

Paramedics took over emergency treatment after the helicopter arrived on scene. Despite their best efforts, officials said, the migrant died. Officials turned over the illegal immigrant’s body to the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office who will conduct an autopsy and try to determine identity.

After finding the other three illegal immigrants to be in good health, the agents arrested and transported them to the Laredo West Station for processing.

Officials said the three men came to the U.S. from Mexico.

“The Laredo Sector Border Patrol will continue to warn against the dangers of people crossing illegally into the United States through dangerous environmental conditions,” officials said in a written statement. “Our Border Safety Initiative (BSI) is a humanitarian, bi-national strategy designed to reduce illegal alien deaths, educate and inform potential illegal aliens of the dangers and hazards of crossing the border illegally, and to respond to those who are in life-threatening situations.”