Two Migrants Rescued, One Drowned in Texas Border Canal

El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents rescued two migrants, arrested two, and deterred four others from entering the U.S. The agents also found the body of one migrant who drowned in the American Canal on the Texas-Mexico border.

Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Paso Station observed, via monitoring security systems, a group of 11 migrants attempting to illegally cross the border near Sixth Street and Second Street in El Paso, Texas, on September 1. As agents arrived on the scene they observed four men entering the American canal in an attempt to illegally enter the U.S., according to information obtained from El Paso Sector Border Patrol officials. Seven of the remaining migrants retreated back into Mexico.

The four migrants who entered the American Canal were immediately swept away, officials reported. Two of the men managed to complete the dangerous crossing. Agents threw a rescue rope to one of the struggling migrants and pulled him from the water to the shore. The other migrant managed to grab onto a ladder where an agent assisted him in climbing out.

The agents observed one of the men required medical attention and El Paso EMS transported him to University Medical Center for treatment of water aspiration, officials reported.

Agents identified all four of the men as Mexican nationals. Border Patrol officials deported all four back to Mexico.

During the rescue effort, one of the Border Patrol agents observed an apparent drowning victim trapped under a flood gate in the canal. Agents called the El Paso Couty Water Irrigation District to lift the gate to release the body. El Paso Fire and Rescue made the recovery at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday night.

Officials said this drowning victim was not part of the group of 11 migrants initially spotted attempting to illegally enter the U.S.

“The vigilance of our Border Patrol agents allowed them to respond immediately and prevent additional loss of life in this incident,” Gloria Chavez, Interim Chief for the Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector said in a written statement. “We cannot stress enough how dangerous these canals can be anytime of the year.”

So far this year, nearly 200 migrants died while or shortly after crossing the border from Mexico into Texas, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrant Project. In total, the organization reports the deaths of at least 267 migrants. Of those, officials identified 167 as men, 32 as women, and 14 as children. The genders of 54 others could not be identified.

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