Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. Border Patrol Rescues Group in Mountainous Terrain

Border Patrol Rescues Group in Mountainous Terrain

Release Date
Mon, 06/15/2020

OCOTILLO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued six illegal aliens Friday morning in the Jacumba Wilderness region.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., agents working the mountainous area near Ocotillo were performing their assigned duties when they noticed smoke in an area that is notorious for the smuggling of immigrants and narcotics.  This area is not accessible by vehicle, and agents patrol this rugged region by hiking through the terrain on foot.

Rescue
Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued
six illegal aliens Friday morning.

At approximately 12:12 p.m., BORSTAR (Border Search Trauma and Rescue) agents reached the area where the smoke was coming from, approximately 5 miles south of the nearest highway. Upon arriving, agents observed six individuals, one of which was a woman who was laying on the ground. Seeing that the woman was in distress, BORSTAR agents immediately requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and began to render medical aid. Agents informed EMS that the woman was severely dehydrated.

Other individuals in the group stated that they had been lost for three days and started a fire in an attempt to signal for help.  

Agents requested air support from CBP’s Air and Marine Operations to transport the individuals to a rally point where EMS awaited.

BORSTAR Paramedics and EMS evaluated and treated all six subjects. All six individuals, illegal aliens from Mexico, were expelled to their country of origin after medical evaluation. Local fire assets extinguished the fire.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021