CALEXICO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector rescued a man who was at risk of drowning in the All-American Canal Saturday evening.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:20 p.m., when Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) operators spotted a group illegally entering the United States east of the Calexico Downtown Port of Entry. RVSS operators then advised that the illegal aliens had entered the All-American Canal in attempt to swim across. One of the individuals was struggling to exit the water due to the high vegetation and steep banks. The Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team (BORSTAR) was notified and responded to the area.
BORSTAR agents arrived on scene and immediately made plans to rescue the illegal alien. A BORSTAR agent jumped into the canal and successfully pulled the struggling individual to safety and extracted him out of the canal.
The BORSTAR agents, who are also Emergency Medical Technicians, assessed the men and determined no further immediate medical attention was needed. The illegal aliens were taken into custody and transported to an immigration rally point and were expelled back to their country of origin.
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