SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Sector Border Patrol is cautioning migrants of the dangers posed by inclement weather that will soon impact San Diego County. The heavy rains and cold fronts in the mountains of San Diego’s East County increase the possibility of injury, sickness, or even death to those who attempt to illegally enter the United States.
“Our message to migrants who are thinking of illegally crossing the border is this: do not put your lives at risk. The smugglers do not care about you. They have abandoned others in the past and left numerous migrants to fend for themselves,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “Human smugglers only see you as a commodity they can profit from, not a human being.”
This warning from Chief Patrol Agent McGurk-Daniel comes at a time when San Diego County awaits the coldest days of the year as smuggling organizations continue to guide migrants through some of the county’s most arduous environments. Temperatures can fall drastically, especially at night, exposing migrants to freezing temperatures in the eastern portions of San Diego County. Migrants will not be warned by smugglers of the effect cold weather will have on their physical and mental health, and the very real risks of hypothermia, frost bite, or death. Previously abandoned migrants have been severely injured and have even succumbed to their injuries and the elements.
Tragically, in February 2020, three sisters who crossed the border illegally with a smuggler were abandoned in a remote area of the Laguna Mountains. Despite an extensive CBP rescue effort, the three women ultimately died from cold weather exposure. The resulting tragedy and the smuggler’s blatant disregard for safety in this case is a stark reminder to migrants not to place their lives in the hands of criminal organizations whose priority is profit.
Over the years, the U.S. Border Patrol has implemented various safety measures to combat these dangers. Measures include public service announcements, agents carrying cold weather kits which contain blankets, water, food, and heat packs, the deployment of rescue beacons throughout the border region, and active patrols by the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) team. Additionally, every Border Patrol agent is trained as a first responder. These assets and tools are aimed at helping reduce cold-weather related injury or death along our borders.
In Fiscal Year 2023, the San Diego Sector Border Patrol recorded more than 5,600 rescues.