LAREDO, Texas – The dangers of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally don’t begin when you get caught.
Laredo Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz said the heat and the river are the biggest dangers.
“If you just look at the river, it may look calm,” Muñoz says, “but if you try to cross it, unless you’re a strong swimmer, you’re in danger of being swept away by the current.”
The U.S. Border Patrol is using drones equipped with cameras and thermal sensors to spot migrants who may be in distress in the water, or who are suffering from heatstroke on land but are unable to help themselves.
“When you cross the border, if you can’t come ashore, tell us the last place he fell and we will go there and try to recover his body,” Border Patrol Agent Heriberto Espinosa said.
Technology to locate migrants crossing borders is evolving.
“As you can see, the drone is flying at an altitude of approximately 1,156 feet,” the drone pilot said. “Investigators have identified and located the victim and are currently working on a rescue operation.”
Search and rescue teams will also be responsible for rescue operations following crossing attempts.
“We will be recovering either bodies, evidence, vehicles or drugs from the water,” Espinoza said.
“I don’t want to put my life or my loved ones in the hands of a smuggling ring,” Munoz said.
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