see also: in September 2008:   Ramey Border Patrol Sector Sponsors Intelligence Training   CBP Arrests Woman at California Port after Discovering 3 Hidden Females   Customs and Border Protection Warns Floral Importers About Unripe Poppy Pods   CBP Officers Arrest Man Wanted for Failing to Register as Sex Offender   El Paso CBP Officers Discover 3,000 Pounds of Marijuana in Shipment of Watermelons   CBP Seizes More Than $360,000 in Undeclared Currency ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Laredo, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents recently rescued an illegal alien who was lost in the unforgiving ranchland north of Laredo.

The incident began when the man called the Webb County Sheriff’s Office from a cell phone just after midnight on Saturday. He told dispatchers that he was lost in the brush and unable to walk well. Using Global Positioning System coordinates obtained from the cell phone, Sheriff’s deputies called Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents and asked them to locate the man.

Throughout the night, agents searched for the man, who made several more calls as the night wore on. Each call provided different, and sometimes conflicting, coordinates. Undaunted by the frustration of the contradictory coordinates, the agents kept up the search. Their perseverance paid off when they were able to locate the man at about 9 a.m. He was found in a desolate area about 35 miles north of Laredo.

The man, a 30-year-old citizen of Mexico, told agents that he had illegally entered the U.S. with a group of people earlier in the week. The group started walking north, taking a route across isolated ranchland that avoided roads. The exertion of walking over the rough terrain was not easy for the man because he suffers from asthma. After two days of walking, the man developed blisters on both of his feet and his legs became stiff. When he could not go any further, the rest of the group left him in the brush to fend for himself.

By the time Border Patrol agents found him, the man had not eaten in more than two days and had gone nearly 24-hours without a drink of water. They provided him with some food and water, which helped him immediately feel better. His injuries did not require medical attention and his asthma was controlled by an inhaler he had brought along.

The man was taken into custody and processed for return to Mexico.

Although the man’s attempt to illegally enter the United States did not turn out like he wished, he did express appreciation for the agents who found him in the brush. Their determination was a key factor in his survival. If not for their efforts and the good fortune of having his cell phone and medication, the man’s illegal travels could have come to a grave ending.

No one should ever attempt to illegally enter the United States. The trip is fraught with danger. From the harsh environment to the unscrupulous practices of human smugglers, the risks far exceed the chances of success. During this fiscal year 32 people have died while attempting to illegally enter the United States through the Laredo Sector. About half of those people died from exposure to heat.

To report suspicious activity such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free telephone number at 1-800-343-1994.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.