OCOTILLO, California – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued four lost and in distress individuals in the Jacumba Wilderness region near Ocotillo Wednesday evening.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m., when the El Centro Tactical Operations Center (TOC) received a call from the San Diego Sector Foreign Operations Branch about a group of four undocumented individuals in the mountains who were lost and tired. One of the individuals claimed to have a sustained leg injury and difficulty walking.
The El Centro Border Patrol Station was advised and notified agents working in the field of the distress call. The Mountain Disrupt Unit (MDU) responded to the area and began the search using GPS coordinates provided by the TOC. Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Yuma Air Branch also responded to the area to provide additional assistance in locating the individuals.
At about 8 p.m., AMO visually located the lost individuals. Given the location, MDU made contact with the group and conducted a welfare check. Agents determined that the individual claiming a leg injury had cactus needles stuck in his leg that fortunately were non-serious and did not prevent him from walking. The other individuals did not appear to be injured and refused medical attention.
Agents apprehended the individuals, safely escorted them back to the highway, and transported the four adult men, all from Mexico, to the El Centro Processing Center for further processing.
The four undocumented individuals will be processed accordingly.
Since October, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents have rescued 140 individuals abandoned by smugglers, lost or in distress, including another group of three rescued on Wednesday morning.