Four bodies have been recovered from the hot desert near Gila Bend, Arizona by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies, Sheriff Joe Arpaio reported. All four of the deceased are men. It is believed that the four passed away in the harsh conditions at least three days before they were discovered on June 20, 2013, by Border Patrol agents.
Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office investigated the scene and have found no evidence at this point to conclude that the men were subjects of foul play. Autopsies will be performed in the next few days. Two of the men recovered had identifications from Mexico on their persons, while the other two did not contain any ID cards. One of the men dressed in jeans and a camouflaged shirt was found about a mile away from the other three.
Additionally, one of the deceased was found completely naked under the desert brush.
“When my deputies rescue people from the desert using overwhelming manpower and equipment at tremendous cost, we do so for humanitarian purposes,” said Arpaio. “I’ve been warning that these border crossings are dangerous for quite some time now. I hope people will start to listen, so we can avoid future loss of life.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol, has rescued 24 persons lost in the desert over the past several weeks.
Sheriff Arpaio also reported that a total of six other individuals in the past 72 hours have been arrested by Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies, assisted by the Border Patrol, in the desert surrounding Gila Bend for smuggling drugs.
Three suspects were arrested on June 19, 2013, with 240 lbs. of marijuana in their possession. On June 20, 2013, one suspect was arrested with 65 lb. of marijuana, and, on June 21, 2013, two more suspects were arrested with 200 lbs. of marijuana.
“Drug smugglers crossing the desert are not only subject to potential death because of the severe conditions, but are also subject to arrest for their crimes, as these six people have found out,” added Arpaio.
According to the group Humane Borders, over 2,200 unauthorized immigrants have lost their lives traversing through the desert regions between the Mexican border and the Gila River Indian Reservation between October 1, 1999 and March 28, 2012.