EAGLE PASS, TX — While Customs and Border Protection can see seasonal spikes in the number of migrants coming across the border, they say over the past few years the traffic has remained constant but the number of rescues has tripled.
"It's often times a race against time when people are in that much danger,” Matthew Hudak, Deputy Chief Patrol Officer for the Del Rio Sector said.
Last fiscal year alone- agents rescued over 3200 people and saw nearly 300 migrant deaths.
"It's challenging on all accounts,” Hudak said.
It's not just the criminal element that migrants need to worry about.
"The environment, being away from water, the scorching sun, a lot of the rescues we do are dehydration or exposure related,” Hudak said.
And it all happens on treacherous terrain.
"A lot of canyons, a lot of very deep crevasses where people actually do fall,” Andrew Aviles, BORSTAR operator said.
That's when BORSTAR operators step in.
"Repel down into spots, lift people up, put them in a litter basket and fly them out,” Aviles said.
BORSTAR stands for Border Patrol Search, Trama, and Rescue. They have equipment for swift water, climbing, and various other rescue scenarios at their disposal. However, in such tight spaces and intense situations, every second and every decision counts.
"We actually carry these on our person so if someone is at that point of cardiac arrest we can help them out,” Aviles said.
It's a matter of life and death, and these agents want to prevent the latter.
"We're glad and proud that we can do those rescues and save so many lives but our goal is to prevent those from happening in the first place,” Hudak said.