Migrants Lost in Arizona Mountains Rescued by CBP Helicopter Crews

Tucson Branch Air and Marine Operations aircrews carried out two rescues in recent days after migrants became lost in the Baboquivari Peak Wilderness area in Arizona.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents assigned to the Tucson Air Station on September 22 received information about a person who called 911 claiming to be lost. The aircrew responded to the area in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a U.S. Border Patrol BORTAC agent on board, according to information obtained from Tucson Sector Border Patrol officials.

A search of the Baboquivari Peak Wilderness area led to the discovery of the missing migrant. Due to the terrain, the aircrew lowered the AMO Rescue Specialist and BORTAC agent by hoist to the area where the migrant was stranded. The aircrew then hoisted the migrant and the two crew members back onto the Black Hawk and transported them to awaiting ground-based Border Patrol agents.

The man admitted that he called 911 because he wanted to surrender to agents. Officials reported he had no medical conditions for injuries.

Two days earlier, another AMO aircrew from the Tucson Air Branch responded to another lost migrant in the same region rescued another migrant who became lost. Once again, the aircrew utilized the hoist capabilities of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to lift the migrant to safety.

“AMO Agents have years of experience in high-stress, dynamic scenarios, with aircrew duties range from hoisting injured persons from dangerous conditions to performing emergency medical treatment in potentially life-threatening situations,” said Michael Montgomery, director, Air and Marine Operations at the Tucson Air Branch, in a written statement. “Our Agents routinely demonstrate the flexibility of Customs and Border Protection mission, which can rapidly evolve from a law enforcement response to a humanitarian rescue.”

AMO officials report the Tucson Air Branch rescued 42 people during Fiscal Year 2020 which began on October 1, 2019.

“In FY 2019, AMO enforcement actions resulted in the approximate seizure or disruption of 284,825 pounds of cocaine; 101,874 pounds of marijuana; 51,058 pounds of methamphetamine; 935 weapons and $34.1 million,” officials wrote. “AMO enforcement actions also facilitated 1,575 arrests and 52,036 apprehensions of illegal aliens.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.