see also: in January 2007 News Releases:   Membership of Trade/Customs Advisory Committee Announced   CBP Officers Make 22 Drug Busts at Calexico Ports During Busy Week   3,010 Pounds of Marijuana Seized at Nogales Port of Entry   CBP Border Patrol Makes a Record Drug Bust   Registration Underway for Third CBP Conference on ACE   CBP Officers Nab Mother/Daughter Cocaine Smugglers; Juveniles With Marijuana Loads Also Nabbed This Week ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Lake Morena, Calif. — On January 26, 2007, Border Patrol agents received a phone call from a woman concerned about an individual who was injured and abandoned while illegally entering the United States through the east county’s rugged and mountainous terrain. The woman stated that the victim had used his cell phone to call a friend for help after becoming ill and being abandoned by his smuggler.

Based on this information, the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue team (BORSTAR) was notified and immediately launched a rescue mission. Multiple air and ground units were involved in combing the vast terrain in a tireless effort to find the distressed migrant. Border Patrol agents contacted the cellular service provider to assist in narrowing down the search area. The cellular service provider determined that the victim’s location was a few miles north of a cell phone tower near the Tecate, California Port of Entry.

The victim’s GPS coordinates were determined through the collaborative efforts of the cellular service provider, the California National Guard, CBP Air and Marine, and the Border Patrol. Members of the BORSTAR team arrived at the victim’s location at 9:30 p.m., roughly five hours after the initial call. The victim had been walking for several days with no food or water. BORSTAR reported that the victim was exhausted but stable. However, due to inclement weather and the remoteness of his location, BORSTAR team members determined that an extraction wasn’t possible until the following morning. Because of the seriousness of the victim’s injuries, BORSTAR team members remained by his side throughout the night providing food, water, and medical care.

One of the core elements of the CBP Border Safety Initiative is the rapid deployment of emergency personnel and resources. This incident is an excellent example of that core element and the dedication of the men and women of the Border Patrol to preserve life along a harsh and dangerous border environment.

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.