EDINBURG, Texas – Over the weekend, Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector (RGV) agents and partners make three significant rescues.
Saturday morning, McAllen Border Patrol Station agents working near Penitas, Texas, were following footprints leading away from the river further into the United States. Agents came across a child in distress, as he was attempting to stay above water while attempting to cross a pond. The Guatemalan juvenile grabbed on to a branch but was unable to remain afloat. Without hesitation, an agent tied a rope around his waist and entered the pond to rescue the migrant. The agent successfully retrieved the juvenile from the pond. Both the agent and the juvenile migrant were assessed by the Penitas Fire Department, where it was determined they required further medical treatment and were transported to the hospital. They were both medically cleared and released later that day.
Sunday afternoon in Havana, Texas, a 26 year old Mexican national jumped into the Rio Grande and began swimming towards the United States when he began to struggle to stay above water. U.S. Coast Guard patrolling the area, rushed to rescue the man. The subject was medically assessed and turned over to Border Patrol for a final disposition.
Yesterday morning, Brownsville Border Patrol Station agents encountered a group of five subjects near Lincoln Park and the levee in Brownsville, Texas. At the time of apprehension, the migrants advised agents that a female was left behind in the brush due to a leg injury sustained falling off the border wall while illegally entering the United States. Agents quickly began to search and located the 39 year old Mexican national in a dense brush area an hour later. Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) medically screened the female and determined she required further medical treatment. The agents mounted the female on a backboard and carried her out of the brush. She was then transported to the hospital to evaluate her injuries and further evaluation.
Border Patrol processed all subjects accordingly.
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.
Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV, @USBPChiefRGV and @USBPDepChiefRGV.
~CBP~
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.