A Laredo Sector Border Patrol EMT saved the lives of two migrant women who were abandoned by human smugglers and left to die. The agent had to be airlifted to the migrants’ location to provide assistance.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz recognized the efforts of an EMT-trained agent from the Laredo Sector in South Texas. Ortiz tweeted a photo of the rescue effort that led to the saving of two migrant women’s lives.
Human smugglers abandoned the women on a ranch near the Texas border with Mexico — most likely when they became dehydrated and could not keep up. After being notified of the distressed female migrants, officials airlifted a Border Patrol agent trained in emergency medical assistance. Due to the quick response, the agent arrived in time to provide life-saving treatment.
Ortiz stated the Border Patrol has 1,432 agents trained as EMTs nationwide.
During FY22, which ended on September 30, 2022, Border Patrol agents rescued a record-setting 22,014 migrants. This was up by nearly 10,000 over the record-setting year just one year earlier.
So far this fiscal year, agents rescued nearly 8,000 more migrants, according to a report published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
SOUTHWEST BORDER RESCUES BY FISCAL YEAR:
- FY 2023 YTD — 7,975
- FY 2022 — 22,014
- FY 2021 — 12,833
- FY 2020 — 5,071
- FY 2019 — 4,920
Unfortunately, not all migrants are lucky enough to be rescued by Border Patrol agents. During FY22, the Biden administration shattered the previous year’s record number of migrant deaths. A report obtained by the Washington Examiner revealed the reported deaths of 880 migrants, Breitbart Texas reported.
The number of deaths reflected in the data obtained by the Washington Examiner in a FOIA request includes only those recoveries reported by the Border Patrol. The number is likely to be significantly lower than the actual count of deceased migrants as it does not include migrant remains recovered by Mexican authorities or those recovered by authorities away from the border. The news outlet received the data this week after submitting the FOIA request in July 2022.
SOUTHWEST BORDER DEATHS BY FISCAL YEAR:
- FY 2022 — 880
- FY 2021 — 568
- FY 2020 — 254
- FY 2019 — 300
- FY 2018 — 281
- FY 2017 — 298
The spike in migrant rescues and deaths in FY21-22 coincides with the record-shattering years for migrant apprehension during the same time period. During these two years, agents apprehended more than 4.1 million migrants along the southwest border.
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.