Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents rescued two illegal migrants in distress last week in the Ajo area. In the past seven months, Border Patrol agents have rescued 122 individuals throughout the Tucson Sector.
Ajo Station agents responded to a citizen’s report that someone was lying on the side of the road along State Route 85.
When agents arrived, they saw two individuals walking toward them. As they approached the agents, one of them collapsed and passed out. EMTs from the Border Patrol and Ajo Ambulance Service evaluated the subjects and determined both subjects were suffering from dehydration and other heat related ailments. In addition, one subject was also suffering from low blood sugar and convulsions.
The subjects were transported to medical centers near Phoenix for treatment.
In a separate incident Saturday, agents from the Brian A. Terry Station rescued an illegal immigrant lost in the desert near Naco, Ariz. The woman called Mexican officials to ask for help after running out of water. Mexican officials then notified the Border Patrol station and agents searched the area and located the woman. No medical attention was required.
Border Patrol says that as temperatures increase, risks associated with crossing the Sonoran Desert cannot be understated. Smugglers continue victimizing illegal immigrants by placing them in dangerous situations, including forcing them to carry narcotics, threatening them with violence and abandoning them in isolated desert terrain.