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  4. Hot Summer Temperatures Continue to Place Illegal Aliens at Risk in the Rio Grande Valley

Hot Summer Temperatures Continue to Place Illegal Aliens at Risk in the Rio Grande Valley

Release Date
Mon, 07/20/2020

EDINBURG, Texas – Over the past few days, Border Patrol agents rescued nine illegal aliens in four separate incidents.

Friday afternoon the Falfurrias Border Patrol station received a call from the Brooks County Sheriffs Office (BCSO) regarding a 911 emergency call. BCSO stated the caller claimed to be lost in the brush without food or water for the last several days. Agents immediately responded to the last known GPS coordinates and began a search. After an hour, agents located the caller along with two additional lost travelers. Agents provided the group with basic medical attention and transported them to the Border Patrol station.

An hour later, a Starr County emergency dispatcher contacted the Rio Grande City (RGC) Border Patrol station regarding a female caller who was lost and traveling with her family. Agents quickly responded to the GPS coordinates provided by the dispatcher and located the caller, her two children, and another adult woman. Medical personnel at the RGC station examined the group and provided them with basic medical attention.

Late Friday evening, Falfurrias agents responded to a call for assistance from a Honduran man who reported he was lost somewhere in the Brooks County ranch lands. Agents responded to the last known location via GPS coordinates and began their search. After searching for more than 14 hours, agents successfully located the distressed caller. Agents provided the man with water and transported him to the Border Patrol station for further processing.

Yesterday, Kingsville agents tracking a group of illegal aliens near Armstrong, Texas, encountered a man who was left behind by smugglers after experiencing a heat related illness. A Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician evaluated the Mexican national and requested the assistance of an Air and Marine Operations Omaha air unit to transport the man to a local medical facility for emergency 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!”    

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter at @CBPRGV, @USBPChiefRGV and @USBPDepChiefRGV.

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021