Border Patrol agents rescued an unaccompanied four-year-old boy abandoned by “rogue” smugglers at the southern border — the latest case of agents rescuing children abandoned in dangerous conditions.
El Paso Area Patrol Chief Gloria Chavez announced that agents in Santa Teresa located the little boy, who was abandoned by “rogue smugglers.”
Chavez said the boy was found with his passport and his parents’ contact information.
“Over 19,651 unaccompanied children have been met this 22nd year,” he tweeted.
BORDER PATROL RESCUE 4-MONTH, 18-MONTH Abandoned by Smugglers in DESERT: ‘THIS IS CRUELTY’
The rescue marks the last child abandoned by smugglers. Unaccompanied children rescued by Border Patrol will typically be transferred to the United States in the care of Health and Human Services. From there they will be flown across the country and reunited with a sponsor or parent if one is already in the country.
Last month agents rescued a four-month-old and an 18-month-old in Arizona.
Border Patrol agents rescue an immigrant child abandoned by smugglers.
“Yesterday smugglers left an infant and a toddler in the Sonoran desert to die.” Tucson area Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin said in a statement. “That’s cruelty. And it’s scary.”
Modlin said the four-month-old infant was found unresponsive when agents reached the children.
“The heartless behavior of smugglers cannot be underestimated.”
Border Patrol agents routinely rescue immigrants, adults and children, who are lost or abandoned in the dangerous conditions at parts of the border.
LATEST MIGRANT DEATHS ON RIO GRANDE HIGHLIGHT ENDLESS DANGERS FACED ON BORDER DIMENSIONS
Border Patrol agents rescued 37 migrants last week as they tried to cross the Rio Grande River into the US. However, 13 more migrants have since been confirmed dead in the attempted crossing, where the waters can be dangerous.
Last month, two children died in separate incidents of drowning while trying to cross the Rio Grande. One, a five-year-old girl from Guatemala, was swept from her mother’s arms by the raging waters, the New York Post reported.
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The Border Patrol conducted 18,897 rescues this year compared to 12,833 in FY 21 and just over 5,000 in FY 20. There have been more than two million immigration encounters this fiscal year, including nearly 200,000 in July alone.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, focusing on immigration. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY
