U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued six illegal aliens in distress in the Yuha Desert and Jacumba Wilderness region over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The first incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 1:50 p.m., when El Centro Sector Communications (ELC Dispatch) was notified by Imperial County Sheriff’s Office Communications of a 9-1-1 distress call made by an individual who illegally crossed the international boundary west of Calexico. The individual stated that there was a 12-year-old boy with him and that he had fainted. He also stated that they had passed a rescue beacon 30 minutes prior to calling for help. The information along with Global Positioning System coordinates (GPS) was relayed to El Centro Station agents performing their assigned duties in the area and they responded to the location to begin searching for the pair.
The El Centro Sector’s Border Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) as well as air support from the California Highway Patrol both advised that they would be responding to assist.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. agents located a foot sign for two individuals near a rescue beacon in the Yuha Desert. They followed the foot sign and successfully located the two individuals approximately 30 minutes later. Agents provided cold water and assessed the two individuals. The two appeared to be suffering from heat-related illnesses. Agents coordinated with emergency medical services and transported the two individuals to the Dunaway Road off-ramp on Interstate 8. The two individuals were then transported by an ambulance to the local hospital for treatment. The boy was released after treatment while the man was admitted for further medical treatment.
Agents took the unaccompanied juvenile, who lost contact with his mother after they illegally entered the United States, to El Centro Station for further processing. There, the boy was reunited with his mother who was apprehended earlier that day. The mother and child were both determined to be illegal aliens from Ecuador, and were expelled from the United States after a criminal background check and further medical screening.
The man, a 57-year-old illegal alien from Mexico was transported to the El Centro Station processing center after being medically cleared from the hospital. He will be presented for prosecution for 8 USC 1326, reentry of removed aliens and will remain in federal custody pending his hearing.
The second incident occurred on Sunday at approximately 6:40 p.m., when ELC Dispatch was notified that the Calexico Police Department Communications had received a 9-1-1 distress call from a group of three who illegally crossed the international boundary west of Calexico. The information along with GPS coordinates was relayed to El Centro Station agents performing their assigned duties in the area and they responded to the location to begin searching for the group.
At approximately 7 p.m. agents successfully located the group and provided cold water. The three individuals were taken into custody after their medical evaluation. No further medical attention was required.
The three men, all illegal aliens from Mexico, were transported to a rally point for processing where agents conducted a criminal background investigation and further medical screening. They were all expelled back to their country of origin immediately after they cleared the screening process.
The third incident occurred Sunday at approximately 10:10 p.m., when the El Centro Station received information from the Foreign Operations Branch of an individual that was lost and in distress in the mountains of the Jacumba Wilderness near Ocotillo. The information along with GPS coordinates was relayed to El Centro Station agents performing their assigned duties in the area and they responded to the location to begin searching for the individual. The Mountain Disrupt Unit (MDU) as well as San Diego Sector’s BORSTAR team responded to the area to assist in the rescue.
At approximately 12:20 a.m. BORSTAR agents informed El Centro Station that a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department air support was in the area and assisting with the search. The Sheriff’s Department informed BORSTAR that they had observed a fire near the area where the search was taking place. MDU agents responded to the area of the fire and successfully located the lost individual. Agents provided him with cold water. The individual admitted to starting the fire to make it easier for agents to find him. The individual was taken into custody after their medical evaluation. No further medical attention was required.
Agents ensured that the fire was no longer active before transporting the man, an illegal alien from Mexico, to a rally point for processing. Agents conducted a criminal background investigation and further medical screening. The illegal man was expelled back to his country of origin immediately after he cleared the screening process.
