IMPERIAL, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued five undocumented individuals within 12 hours in separate incidents, Monday.
The first incident occurred at about 7:46 a.m., in the Jacumba Wilderness region, when Mexican authorities notified the El Centro Border Patrol Station of a distress call made by a woman who illegally crossed the United States/ Mexico International Boundary and became lost in the mountains.
El Centro Station made telephonic contact with the lost undocumented individual and received updated GPS coordinates to her location. El Centro Agents responded to the area and at about 10:22 a.m., agents located the 40-year-old woman.
Agents conducted a welfare check on the individual and determined that additional medical attention was needed due to a sprained ankle. Agents extracted the individual and provided assistance by carrying her to a safe area. Emergency Medical Services was dispatched and arrived to transport the injured woman to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The second incident occurred at about 9:10 a.m., in the east desert of Calexico when agents monitoring the Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) observed an individual enter the All-American-Canal to swim across. RVSS operators noticed the undocumented individual struggling to swim across and notified agents in the field to assist.
At about 9:40 a.m., agents located the individual in the water, deployed a rescue disc and pulled him to safety. Agents conducted a welfare check and determined that no medical attention was required. The man was taken into custody and transported to the El Centro Sector Processing Center.
The third incident occurred at about 3:11 p.m., in the Jacumba Wilderness region, when El Centro Sector Dispatch notified agents about a man who illegally crossed the United States/ Mexico International Boundary. The undocumented individual stated that he was left behind by his group and was lost in the mountains and in need of help.
The Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Yuma Air Branch responded to the area and began the search using the last GPS coordinates provided. At about 3:25 p.m., the air crew spotted the individual one mile south of Interstate 8.
The air crew landed the helicopter and made contact with the individual. The air crew conducted a welfare check and determined that no medical attention was required. The man was taken into custody and transported to the El Centro Sector Processing Center.
The fourth incident occurred at about 5:45 p.m., in the Jacumba Wilderness region, when the Calexico Police Department Dispatch notified El Centro Border Patrol Station that they received a 9-1-1 call from two individuals who illegally crossed the United States/Mexico International Boundary and became lost in the mountains.
El Centro Station’s agents located the two undocumented individuals walking north on a foot trail just after 7 p.m. Agents conducted welfare checks and determined that no medical attention was required. The pair were taken into custody and transported to the El Centro Processing Center.
All five rescued undocumented individuals will be processed accordingly.
Since October, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents have successfully rescued 156 individuals lost or in distress.
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