Border Patrol agents recovered 13 deceased migrants in one week along what the United Nations has declared the deadliest land border in the world. The recoveries made by the agency were accompanied by 226 rescues of migrants suffering heat-related injuries from June 25 to July 1, according to Jason Owens, the recently named the 26th Chief of the United States Border Patrol.
The heat wave still impacting the border region was into its fourth straight week as June came to a close. In Mexico, temperatures in the border states have also shattered existing records during one of the most severe heatwaves the country has experienced. Thankfully, the heatwave is expected to dissipate and move eastward, offering some relief to those battling the heat along the southwest border.
USBP continues to see dehydration as the leading cause of the rescues & the deaths we encounter. Extreme temperatures are a serious concern, especially during summer months. Last week alone, our men & women made 226 heat-related rescues & unfortunately recovered 13 dead migrants. pic.twitter.com/hcMUemXvur
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) July 6, 2023
As the unrelenting heat wave blanketed the southern states, the deceased migrant recoveries made by the Border Patrol during the previous week are only a portion of the actual death toll along the border. Deceased migrant recoveries in Mexico and by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States away from the border are not reported by the Border Patrol when their agents do not participate in the recovery. This means the migrant death total is higher than that reported by the agency.
The record-breaking heatwave has proven deadly to migrants in Mexico as well. Some 26 miles away from the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, law enforcement authorities in Nava, Coahuila, Mexico, recovered the body of one suspected migrant on a private ranch on Saturday. Initial reports from authorities indicate the remains may be William Amilcar Ramos, a 31-year-old Guatemalan migrant.
In Piedras Negras, Coahuila, according to one news report, the State Attorney General, Gerardo Marquez Guevara, told reporters 21 deceased migrants have been recovered in the Mexican border city since January. Four of the migrants remain unidentified.
On Monday, nearly 50 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border, Zavala County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered the body of a 22-year-old Honduran migrant on a private ranch near La Pryor, Texas. This recovery also falls outside the category reported on by Border Patrol records.
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Heat-related injuries are only one contributing factor to the number of migrants who lose their lives attempting the border crossing into the United States. As reported by Breitbart, Texas, on Saturday, a Texas Department of Public Safety Tactical Marine Unit reported the recovery of four deceased migrants who had drowned in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.
In 2022, more than 800 migrant deaths were recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In 2021, 728 migrants perished attempting the border crossing into the United States, prompting the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) to declare the United States-Mexico land border the most dangerous land crossing in the world in July of 2022.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.