A 20-year-old U.S. woman living in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico, gave birth to a healthy son Sunday morning at the Port of Lukeville.
The woman arrived at the port as a passenger in a Chevrolet SUV and told Customs and Border Protection officers she was nine months pregnant and having contractions.
After officers contacted an Ajo ambulance service, who estimated their travel time to be at least 30 minutes, three CBP officers trained as emergency medical technicians assessed the woman and determined she would probably deliver prior to the ambulance’s arrival. CBP personnel then moved the woman into a secondary pedestrian waiting area to monitor the ‘special’ delivery.
After the woman gave birth at approximately 10 a.m., officers confirmed the new family’s fitness for travel and Ajo Ambulance transported both to a Phoenix hospital. According to hospital medical staff, mother and child are in good health.
CBP’s Tucson Field Office supports the Emergency Medical Technician program, which allows certification of CBP officers at both the state and national level. Lukeville Port Director Peter Bachelier praised the officers and said achieving success as a CBP/EMT requires faith and belief in yourself. “The job requires vision, hard work, determination and dedication,” he said. “Lukeville’s CBP officers take on this EMT challenge as an additional duty to help save lives.”