US

Border Patrol Agents Rescue Migrants Abandoned By Smugglers At The Very Top Of New Border Wall

Ground views of different Border Wall Prototypes as they take shape during the Wall Prototype Construction Project near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. | circa October 2017 | Photo: Mani Albrecht

Border Patrol agents, with the help of the local fire department, were able to rescue three migrants who climbed to the very top of newly-built border wall and ended up stuck.

Border Patrol agents on patrol near San Diego, California’s Otay Mesa Port of Entry discovered three individuals stuck at the top of new 30-foot bollard wall Sunday night, according to a Customs and Border press release. The migrants apparently attempted to climb the wall after smugglers abandoned them, but found themselves unable to move after they reached the top of the wall. The weather was reportedly foggy at the time, making the wall wet and slippery.

Border Patrol immediately took action to protect the migrants’ physical safety.

Agents enlisted the help of the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) to retrieve the migrants securely. The department used a ladder truck to reach the individuals and bring them down without injury. Once on the ground, Border Patrol was able to figure out more about the aliens and what happened leading up to the incident.

All three individuals — a 36-year-old male, a 20-year-old female, and an 18-year-old female — were Mexican nationals. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that oversees Border Patrol, stated that the trio was taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing.

A spokesman for the agency noted this is far from the first time smugglers abandoned vulnerable migrants while crossing the dangerous terrain between the U.S. and Mexico.

“These three were very fortunate to not have fallen from the top of the wall which could have resulted in serious injury or death,” Aaron Heitke, San Diego Sector’s acting Chief Patrol Agent, said in a statement released Tuesday. “These dangers are not important considerations to smugglers, who place an emphasis on profits over safety.”

Border Patrol agents, mostly known for their work to enforce U.S. immigration laws, spend a significant amount of time and resources on rescuing foreign nationals who attempt to enter the country illegally.

Mark Morgan, the Customs and Border Protection acting commissioner, announced in November 2019 that agents conducted roughly 4,900 rescues along the border in fiscal year 2019 — including land and water rescues. The missions don’t end there, with officials then escorting about 25,000 migrants to the hospital last fiscal year, as well.