U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents arrested 14 inadmissible aliens on Friday who were crossing the border in a remote area on Otay Mountain. An adult woman and small child in the group required medical aid.
At approximately 9:45 a.m. on Friday, USBP agents assigned to San Diego Sector’s Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) and the Sector Strike Team (SST) were working near Otay Mountain in East County San Diego when they encountered 14 people. The group was struggling to traverse through a desolate and remote area known as Copper Canyon.
A mother and her three-year-old daughter in the group did not appear to be injured, but the two were becoming dehydrated and having difficulty hiking out of the canyon. Air support was requested, since the location was nearly two hours from area roads.
A San Diego Sheriff’s UH-1 Helicopter arrived shortly after and CALFIRE rescuers hoisted the two up into the helicopter for extraction. The pair was flown to the Dulzura Fire Station, where emergency medical services and USBP agents were on standby. After providing first aid to the two, a subsequent immigration inspection was conducted. All subjects, including the mother and child, were found to be Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S. and transported to a Border Patrol station for processing.
“These rescues are a direct testament to the heart, soul, and character of our agents,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “Crossing the border illegally remains an inherently dangerous endeavor and USBP takes every injury seriously. Migrants often become lost, injured, and abandoned by smugglers, who only see them as commodities for exploitation.”
