Border Patrol Agent Saves Guatemalan Migrant from Drowning

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents saved a Guatemalan migrant from drowning after he jumped into a cattle pond during an attempt to avoid arrest.

Agents assigned to the Tucson Station observed two suspected illegal immigrants walking in a remote area near Three Points, Arizona, on December 16. Agents on the ground began tracking the migrants and, with the aid of a National Guard aircrew operating under Operation Guardian Support, found them on a ranch, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Both of the migrants fled to avoid arrest as the Border Patrol agents approached. One of the men, later identified as an 18-year-old Guatemalan national, ran into a cattle pond that “was filled with mud and murky water.”

Agents said the man cried out for help and could not stay afloat. One of the agents jumped into the pond and swam to the migrant’s location where, at risk to his own life, he pulled the young Guatemalan man to safety.

Officials checked the frightened man’s condition and determined that he did not sustain any injuries. The migrant declined any further medical attention, officials stated.

A search of the area led agents to the second man, a 21-year-old Guatemalan national. Agents arrested both men and transported them to the Tucson Station for processing on immigration violations.

Border Patrol agents are trained in water safety tactics to enable them to safely make these types of rescues.

The number of migrants rescued by Border Patrol agents rose significantly during the most recent fiscal year which ended on September 30. During that period, agents rescued more than 4,300 illegal immigrants who put themselves in life-endangering situations, Breitbart News reported. On average, agents rescued about 12 migrants per day during the period. In the first two months of Fiscal Year 2019, that number jumped by 74 percent, Border Patrol officials told reporters during a conference call on Friday.

Breitbart News reports extensively on the recuse of migrants by Border Patrol agents. Frequently, Border Patrol agents put their own lives at risk when migrants place themselves in dangerous situations. In a recent example, a McAllen Station Border Patrol agent came under attack from migrants throwing large rocks as he attempted to rescue a pregnant woman who had just crossed the border.