LAREDO, Texas – On October 19, 2016, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo North station rescued a 15-year old child who was left behind by smugglers, at a ranch north on Mines Road.
The incident occurred around at 11:00 p.m., when Border Patrol agents responded to a call, on a local ranch, near State Highway 255.
Agents working with the Border Patrol’s Border Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit rescued the child, who was abandoned and without food or water for several days. The child was rescued and evaluated by BORSTAR and was determined to be in generally good health.
“Smugglers are callous and have no regard for human life. If a person cannot keep up, regardless of age, the smugglers will simply leave them to die,” said Jason Owens, Acting Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent.
The child is from El Salvador and was traveling alone. He was transported to the Laredo North Station, where he was processed accordingly.
Under the umbrella of the Border Safety Initiative, created in 1998, the U.S. Border Patrol strives to prevent deaths and increase rescues of illegal immigrants who fall prey to callous, unscrupulous human smugglers who place them in dangerous situations to fend for themselves. The deployment of specialized personnel, area-specific technology, and public awareness campaigns are among the efforts undertaken by the U.S. Border Patrol each year, in order to prevent the unfortunate loss of life.
