Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents, including agents from the Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) team, rescued an undocumented migrant early Tuesday after authorities received a call from a person claiming to be lost and severely dehydrated in the desert near Sells.
Pima County-Ajo Dispatch relayed the distress call to the Border Patrol after determining the caller was in a remote area west of Sells. The caller, an adult male Mexican national, was able to provide basic information on his location, giving agents a starting point to begin a search.
Agents soon located the man, struggling to maintain consciousness. BORSTAR agents rendered medical assistance and arranged transport via Life Flight to a local Tucson hospital for his injuries.
After the man is discharged from the hospital, he will be processed for immigration related violations in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Unscrupulous smugglers often abandon migrants in the desert who fall behind. As a result, many perish every year. Border Patrol officials encourage anyone in distress to call 911 or activate a rescue beacon before becoming a casualty. In Fiscal year 2016 Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents rescued over 1,400 persons with many of those rescues conducted in the western Arizona region.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Contacting the Border Patrol to report illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.