Chief Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel recently acknowledged the efforts of a specialized law enforcement and search and rescue response team that came to the aid of an injured migrant. The statement was delivered via X.
McGurk-Daniel said, "In a recent incident, a BORSTAR operator carried an injured migrant 300 meters up a steep hill near Otay Lakes Dam. The woman was unable to walk & had to be evacuated to a safe location to go to the hospital. FACT: USBP rescues more migrants every year than anyone else."
The Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit was established in 1998 and is headquartered at the U.S. Border Patrol’s Special Operations Group in El Paso, Texas. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) website, it was formed in response to the increasing number of injuries to agents and migrant deaths along America’s borders.
Last year, BORSTAR agents trained Mexican law enforcement personnel in San Diego with the goal of saving more lives along the border, according to a CBP news release. Approximately 13 organizations linked to Mexico’s border rescue agency, Grupos Beta, received two-week training supported by the Bureau of International Narcotic and Law Enforcement Affairs.
San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke emphasized the importance of this collaboration saying, "It is important that we continue working with the Government of Mexico to better protect migrants who are put in deadly situations by smugglers. Having our Mexican partners working with us provides greater impact in saving lives along the border. I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to illegally cross in these remote and inhospitable areas along the border."
According to another news release, BORSTAR began training other nations in border rescues in 2004. The first training academy focused on basic first aid and search and rescue training but has now shifted to swift water awareness and rope rescue training.
INL Program Officer Rebecca Daley praised the efforts of the Grupos Beta, saying, "Congratulations to INAMI’s Grupos Beta for the successful training in technical rope rescue and water rescue, led by BORSTAR from CBP. With the support of INL Mexico, we strengthen locating and assisting migrants."
