Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued four illegal aliens who nearly drowned attempting to cross the Rio Grande and one who attempted to circumvent the immigration checkpoint.
On Saturday, the Falfurrias station received information of a Mexican national lost in the vast ranchlands of Brooks County. Agents responded to the last known location and were unable to locate the man after an exhaustive search. The following morning, Border Patrol Search and Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) units responded to the scene and, with new updated information provided by the subject’s family members, located the man who was in need of medical attention. Agents requested the assistance of an ambulance service in order to transport the man to a local medical facility for further evaluation/treatment.
On Tuesday, McAllen agents working near Penitas, Texas, responded to a report of multiple subjects walking north of the Rio Grande after entering the United States illegally. As agents responded, they arrested three subjects with the remaining five attempting to swim back to Mexico. Agents observed a man, later identified as a Mexican national, having difficulty swimming and staying afloat in the waters of the Rio Grande. A Border Patrol riverine unit in the area safely retrieved the man and transported him to the riverbank to awaiting agents. Agents offered the man medical assistance, but he declined.
On Wednesday, McAllen agents working near Mission, Texas, observed multiple subjects attempt to abscond to Mexico after entering the United States illegally. As agents arrived to the area, they observed a male and two females having difficulty navigating the strong currents of the Rio Grande. McAllen riverine units in the area observed the situation and quickly extracted the three subjects and transported them to safety. Agents offered medical attention to the subjects, but they declined.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”
