EL PASO, Texas – Two illegal aliens are alive today thanks to the quick action of two U.S. Army soldiers and the U.S. Border Patrol. The pair were rescued from canal waters on the U.S. border in El Paso on June 20.
The rescue unfolded when two soldiers, who are part of a Mobile Surveillance Team assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the southwest border, saw a migrant family enter the canal near downtown. They observed a Guatemalan woman and her child start to struggle in the swift moving and dangerous water and then submerge completely.
One soldier jumped into the water to rescue the woman and her child, while the other used his shirt as a makeshift lifeline until U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived and threw them a rescue line. The soldiers and Border Patrol agents safely rescued the pair and no injuries were reported.
Rescues such as these are expected to occur more often as we officially entered summer Friday. Environments along our southern border such as the Chihuahua Desert or the canals in El Paso often pose hidden dangers of which most people are unaware of. The United States Border Patrol will continue to monitor these areas in an attempt to preserve life while maintaining our national security.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509 toll free.