Border Patrol agents learned that a migrant who crossed the border with a large group in the New Mexico desert is suffering from flesh-eating bacteria. Border Patrol officials said this is one of many ailments for which they are treating migrants.

Border Patrol agents assigned to the Lordsburg Station in New Mexico said a Central American migrant sought medical treatment for what he believed to be a rash. The agents transported the migrant to a hospital where doctors determine the rash to be caused by necrotizing fascitis — flesh-eating bacteria, Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Antunez told the Associated Press.

The bacteria, which can be fatal, spreads quickly after being introduced to the body through a minor cut or scrape. It can cause an infection that can destroy muscle, skin, and other tissue, officials reported.

The migrant is expected to require extensive treatment for the infection.

El Paso Sector agents apprehended the migrant after he illegally crossed the border near the Camp Bounds Forward Operating Base at the Antelope Wells Port of Entry.

Officials said that since the beginning of the current fiscal year on October 1, 2018, agents apprehended 26 “large groups” of Central American migrants in this one small section of an unsecured border region. Border Patrol officials define a “large group” as having more than 100 migrants.

At least 2,600 migrants have been apprehended in this region that normally sees a few hundred per year.

During the entirety of Fiscal Year 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, the El Paso Sector reported apprehending a total of 31,561 migrants. Those included 12,312 family units and 5,461 unaccompanied minors, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s 2018 Southwest Border Migration Report. Officials told Breitbart News in December that the Lordsburg station’s apprehensions represent a small portion of those numbers. And, the Camp Bounds Forward Operating Base, located in the extreme southwestern part of the New Mexico boot heel, accounted for a small portion of that.

On Thursday, Antunez said Lordsburg Station agents apprehended a group of 306 migrants. He said some of these migrants had illnesses and injuries requiring treatment.

“We’re seeing for example, chicken pox, different strands of influenza, syphilis, scabies. This is something that we see with the illegal aliens and we have to provide treatment for them,” Antunez stated.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents are also witnessing massive numbers of migrant families crossing into the Arizona desert, Breitbart News reported. Officials report the increase in the number of large group border crossings led to the apprehension of nearly 9,000 in Fiscal Year 2019 to date.

CBP officials reported on Thursday that 8,797 migrants, mostly families and minors from Guatemala, crossed the border in 53 large groups since October 1, 2o18. CBP defines a large group as more than 100 migrants. Of that number, 7,757 are Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) from Guatemala.

The report states that 84.6 percent of the large groups are FMUA migrants, while 11.5 percent are UACs. Nearly all (99.6 percent) of the large group migrant crossings came from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, officials stated.

Officials reported:

  • USBP transported 2,224 subjects (5.3% of all southwest border arrests for the same period) to local hospitals since December 22, 2018.
  • USBP has spent a total of 19,299 hours providing various levels of support to these hospital visits. This includes transportation to and from, and over watch for each person/family at the hospital. This means there are less agents performing border security duties.

“Smugglers and traffickers then use these large groups as “cover” while USBP resources are utilized to arrest and detention-related duties associated with the large groups,” officials stated. The report cites examples of this behavior:

  • On January 16, 2018, USBP apprehended a group of 253 illegal aliens and in a separate event seized approximately 265 lbs of marijuana.
  • On January 17, 2018, USBP agents seized 705 lbs of Cocaine. On the same day, USBP agents apprehended a large group of 174.
  • On January 18, 2018, USBP apprehended a group of 116 and in a separate event seized approximately 1,087 lbs of marijuana.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.