Tucson Border Patrol agents prepare for busy summer as record numbers of migrant encounters continue upward

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Tucson Border Patrol agents prepare for busy summer

The number of migrants attempting to illegally cross the border between the United States and Mexico continues to rise, and with it the temperature along the southwest border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Arizona are warning migrants not to come in deadly triple-digit temperatures.

TUCSON, ARIZ .– – The number of migrants attempting to illegally cross the border between the United States and Mexico continues to rise, and with it the temperature along the southwest border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Arizona are preparing for a busy summer, working in triple-digit temperatures.

CBP’s Tucson sector opened its doors to the media on Thursday to warn migrants not to cross in the desert heat.

“The message is simple, don’t do it. The desert is huge and insidious, if you cross illegally you put your life in incredible danger. I’m telling you this not just as a border guard, but as someone who … spent his entire life 23-year career in Arizona. I speak from experience, “said Sabri Dikman, assistant chief patrol agent, Tucson Sector Border Patrol.

In addition to CBP members, representatives from the governments of Mexico and Guatemala and Juanita Molina, director of the Border Action Network, were also present.

“A lot of people die from dehydration, from exposure, but also another aspect of it is that we find a lot of skeletal remains so people die and we don’t know why,” said Molina.

CBP’s Tucson sector opened its doors to the media on Thursday to warn migrants not to cross in the desert heat (Stephanie Bennett / Fox News).

The Tucson sector sees its fair share of drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal border crossing, but it’s not as busy as it is in Texas. However, they have the highest number of migrant deaths.

“The fact is that more migrant deaths have been reported in Arizona than anywhere else along the southwest border,” Dikman said. “I’ve spoken to thousands of people since I started my career in 1998.”

“The Tucson sector is conducting multiple bailouts a day in the summer heat,” he added. “We have over 250 EMT and paramedic trained agents across our sector, as well as the Border Patrol addiction trauma and rescue team installing more every day.”

Officials said they don’t expect the heat to stop anyone from coming. This is the busiest since 2013. Across the southwest border, the number of migrants rose slightly in April to 178,622 from 173,383 in March, the highest number in 20 years. However, the number of unaccompanied encounters with minors fell slightly.

Across the southwest border, the number of migrants encountered in April rose slightly to 178,622, compared to an already high number of 173,383 in March (Stephanie Bennett / Fox News).

“What I’ve heard thousands of times over these years is, ‘I’d rather die trying. So as much as we try to get this message across, we know that people will continue to cross, and what I think of this community and of … In these cases, we continue to invest resources to save those who come to our shores, and rescue those who cross into our desert, “said Molina.” I have worked in many emergency rooms that train combat doctors, but I was completely ill prepared to see what happened here in the desert and on the devastation, the moment you find someone and know they are unstable and you need to get help right away. “

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To combat the problem, they are dispatching an additional flight crew with a medic and more portable rescue beacons so that vulnerable migrants can call for help. At the moment, agents are asking migrants not to come, but if they do, call 911 or try to deregister their helicopters to quickly get border guards’ attention.

“There are roughly 18,000 square miles of desert and mountains that we cover. When a person is lost or needs help, it’s a proverbial needle in a haystack. Please stay out of the desert, lives are at stake,” said Michael Montgomery , Director of Air Operations, CBP Air and Marine Operations Tucson Air Branch. “If you call 911 for help, stay where you are, don’t venture away from where you called 911. If a helicopter is nearby, wave a shirt or other object. Do Movement, you’d be surprised how well the people fit into the vast desert. “

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