Border Patrol Agents Rescue Migrants in West Texas Mountains

Border Patrol agents in the Big Bend Sector teamed up with local and federal agencies to carry out a series of migrant rescues. The efforts led to the saving of several migrants abandoned by human smugglers.

During a four-day period this month, Big Bend Sector agents teamed up with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircrews and local emergency medical teams to carry out four separate rescue operations in the mountainous border region. The efforts led to the rescue of nearly 20 migrants — several in serious need of medical attention, according to CBP officials.

On August 10, Van Horn Station agents came to the rescue of a migrant left behind by his smuggler after entering the U.S. illegally. The agents learned the man came to the U.S. from Ecuador, officials stated. The agents arranged transportation for the man to the Culberson County Hospital where he received treatment for exposure to the heat and dehydration.

One day earlier, agents assigned to the Presidio Station teamed up with an AMO aircrew to locate and apprehend a group of 14 illegal immigrants in the Big Bend Ranch State Park. The park is located to the southwest of the town of Presidio, Texas. Ground agents determined that one of the men, a Guatemalan national, was severely dehydrated and had lost consciousness.

The AMO aircrew airlifted the distressed migrant to a nearby Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician. Once stabilized, the agents turned the migrant over to a Presidio County EMS team who transported the man to the Big Bend Regional Medical Center located in Alpine, Texas.

Agents assigned to the Sierra Blanca Station teamed up with an El Paso Sector BORSTAR unit on August 8 to search for a Guatemalan woman who was reported to be severely dehydrated. The team located the woman and called for a CBP AMO aircrew to transport the woman to a Fort Hancock EMS crew. The ambulance crew transported the woman to an El Paso hospital for treatment and evaluation.

On August 7, agents assigned to the Fort Stockton Station came upon a group of three illegal aliens near Highway 285 to the south of Fort Stockton, Texas. The three men had become lost and had been abandoned without food or water for three days. The three Mexican nationals refused medical treatment and were placed in custody for immigration violations.

“This is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with illegal border crossings as well as the demanding and dangerous jobs that our agents perform on a daily basis,” Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert L. Boatright said in a written statement. “It also speaks positively about our strong working relationships with our state and local partners which ultimately help save lives.”