Migrants’ deaths, rescues increase
An increasing number of immigrants’ drowning deaths have been reported over the past two fiscal years by the El Centro Sector Border Patrol.
Similarly, the number of times where agents have had to rescue immigrants in distress have also risen over the same time span, officials said.
Though the agency has not yet determined whether the deaths and rescues are related to the influx of Central American immigrants at the Southwest border, local officials are
nonetheless concerned.
“One death is one too many,” said Sector Chief Gloria Chavez, who begins her new assignment as interim chief of the El Paso, Texas, Sector today.
Chavez’s remarks came Thursday while standing alongside the northern bank of the All-American Canal west of the Imperial Sand Dunes, where members of the agency’s Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue gathered for a simulated swift water rescue.
The BORSTAR demonstration was intended to highlight the agency’s capabilities and underscore the agency’s commitment to saving lives.
“Although there is a border, when it comes to rescuing people we have no boundaries, and our priority immediately is humanitarian in nature, to save lives and that is what we’ll continue to do,” Chavez said.
The Border Patrol’s humanitarian efforts are best exemplified by its Border Safety Initiative, created in June 1998 and deployed along the entirety of the Southwest border, officials said.
The initiative is a fourpronged effort that includes the deployment of the BORSTAR unit, an outreach campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers posed by the Valley’s landscape with the help of the Mexican government, identifying and recording the nationalities of those who perish while attempting to cross illegally or whose remains are discovered posthumously, and tracking and recording the location of incidents of death and rescues.
To date, most of the immigrants’ drowning deaths in the Valley have occurred along a 10-mile span of the All-American Canal extending from the sand dunes westward.
Even for experienced swimmers the canal’s strong current, whirlpools, cold winter temperatures and depth of about 20 feet can pose a danger. The likelihood of a drowning or rescue attempt are also increased by the physical exertion a migrant often expends just to reach the canal, officials said.
“I can’t stress enough the dangers of the water,” Chavez said. “To have 13 people die in the canals crossing this border illegally is very concerning to us here in the El Centro Sector.”
The 13 reported drowning deaths that have occurred since Oct. 1 have already surpassed the total seven recorded last fiscal year. In FY 2017, one such death was recorded, down from six in 2016, according to data provided by Border Patrol.
This fiscal year BORSTAR agents have rescued 18 migrants in distress, an increase over the 14 recorded last fiscal year and the four rescues of 2017. Yet, those figures are significantly lower than the 37 reported rescues of fiscal year 2016, the agency stated.
Those rescues can be either water- or heat-related incidents. Because of the dangers posed by the local landscape and its weather, BORSTAR agents are trained accordingly.
“We go through the rigorous training for that exact reason because of the situations we might find ourselves in,” said BORSTAR Agent Jonathan Pacheco. “It doesn’t matter what the situation is we’re going to go out there to help out.”
BORSTAR members’ training in search and rescue includes swift-water rescue and EMT certification, as well as training in small-unit tactics, trauma management and GPS navigation.
Reported water- or heat-related incidents also prompts the notification of the agency’s Foreign Operations Branch, which liaisons with the Mexican government and related entities.
Agency officials characterized the continuous communication and coordination with their Mexican counterparts as an essential part of the Border Safety Initiative and its proven efficiency.
Recently, local officials were made aware of an individual in distress traveling with a group of would-be illegal border crossers south of the county’s western region. They in turn contacted their Mexican counterparts, who were subsequently able to provide assistance to the person in distress.
“I cannot complain about the support that we have received from the government of Mexico,” Chavez said. “That is something that is very appreciated.”
Of the agency’s approximate 20,000 agents, about 200 are assigned to BORSTAR units found within each sector. Members are also known to assist with natural disaster recovery efforts across the nation.
The El Centro Sector BORSTAR unit currently has 10 members, but has the capacity to employ up to 14, officials said.
Agent Kellie Sheppard is among the team’s most recent members and its first woman. She is one of about 10 women nationwide assigned to BORSTAR units, officials said.
A 12-year veteran of the agency, Sheppard said she was motivated to join by a desire to want to help the small elite team of BORSTAR agents and help save lives at a time when deaths appear to be increasing.
She completed the BORSTAR academy recently, after her initial attempt in 2015 did not prove as successful. This time around she was only woman to complete the five-week academy, out of the 55 total men and women who applied and the 25 who graduated.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Sheppard said.
In the few months she has been assigned to the unit, Sheppard has assisted with the recovery of a body in Yuma as well as local incidents involving vehicles in canals. With the summer in full swing, she said she also anticipates being deployed in response to heat-related incidents.
“I’m sure it’s coming,” Sheppard said.