EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two migrant women were rescued Monday from shallow and swift water after being stranded by smugglers on the Rio Grande.
But the rescue took the cooperation of local and federal responders, officials said.
“RGV Riverine units [of the U.S. Border Patrol] responded to the area and located the two migrants stranded and trapped in the river,” a news release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated. “The Riverine agents were unable to facilitate a rescue due to the shallow water and swift moving current.”
However, with help from the Mission Fire Department, Border Patrol agents were able to save the women from the dangerous situation, officials said.
Using equipment provided by the fire department, firefighters and Border Patrol agents “collaborated and were able to rescue the migrants,” CBP said.
The migrants were identified as Cuban nationals, and they were medically evaluated and did not require further treatment, authorities said.
U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley rescued 40 people during October, Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Gloria Chavez said.
“On a daily basis, our agents encounter injured migrants, perform river rescues, and conduct search and rescue operations in vast and remote ranchlands,” Chavez said. “I’m extremely proud of our RGV Sector Border Patrol agents and their tireless efforts in preserving human lives.”
