U.S. Border Patrol agents in Tucson Sector are urging illegal border crossers to avoid crossing the Arizona desert as the state experiences extreme seasonal heat.
Tucson Sector agents responded to 151 calls for help between July 1 and July 20, rescuing more than 1,100 border crossers. They have also encountered human remains.
Migrants illegally crossing into the United States at the southern border are being warned that they are putting themselves in “constant peril” due to “heartless smugglers, inhospitable terrain and extreme weather.”
“Apprehensions continue to rise in our area,” stated Joel D. Garcia, Patrol Agent in Charge of the Ajo Station. “That means more migrants risking their lives and more needing rescue. Arizona’s west desert is the most dangerous place to cross the southwest border, and this intense heat only increases the chances for tragedy.”
While apprehensions along the southwest border have reportedly dropped overall, the Tucson Sector has yet to see this decrease.