Bi-National Rescue by Border Patrol Agents and Mexican Officials

OCOTILLO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued four lost undocumented noncitizens, in the Jacumba Wilderness region near Ocotillo.

The incident occurred Tuesday morning at approximately 12:55 a.m., when El Centro Sectors Foreign Operations Branch (FOB) notified El Centro Station agents that they had received a call from Mexican officials, of a distress call made by a man who illegally crossed the United States/ Mexico international boundary. The undocumented noncitizen stated that he and three more people were lost in the mountains and had no food or water. El Centro Station’s Mountain Disrupt Unit responded to the area and began the search using GPS coordinates provided by the lost individual’s cell phone.

At approximately 2:14 a.m., agents located the lost individuals, all Mexican nationals, and conducted a welfare check. The rescued undocumented noncitizens were assessed, and no medical attention was required. Agents transported them to the El Centro Processing Center for further processing; they were removed back to Mexico.

Since October, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents have successfully rescued 112 individuals lost or in distress.