Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Yesterday, agents rescued four subjects from the fast moving currents of the Rio Grande and encountered a man in dire need of medical attention in Brooks County.
Yesterday evening, the Weslaco station riverine units working near Hidalgo, Texas, observed a raft with multiple subjects nearing the U.S. riverbank. As Border Patrol boats approached the area, the smuggler turned the raft around in an attempt to return to Mexico. While retreating, the smuggler pushed four people from the raft into the river prompting agents to disengage with the smuggler and begin rescue efforts. Some of the subjects in the water were struggling to stay afloat in the fast moving current. All four subjects were safely recovered and transported to the U.S. Riverbank. Agents assessed their health and transported them to the Hidalgo Port of Entry for further processing.
Later, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents assigned to the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) unit working in Encino, Texas, apprehended a group of five illegal aliens attempting to circumvent the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint. While evaluating the group, one of the subjects began to experience convulsions. Agents immediately provided the man with medical attention for the convulsions and severe dehydration. As agents worked on the man, they requested Emergency Medical Services who transported the subject to a local medical facility for further treatment.
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.
