SAN MANUEL, Texas — Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) have teamed up to help save lives.
On Tuesday, the agency’s news release said Border Patrol, the Missing Migrant Program and the USFWS deployed a rescue beacon in the La Sal Del Rey Wildlife Refuge near San Manuel, Texas.
The increase of activity in the refuge led to a concerning number of incidents, said the release.
Human smuggling and tourism in the area has led to multiple emergency calls from lost migrants and tourists. A majority of these calls have been heat related issues due to dehydration.
The rescue beacon was deployed in an area that will have the most impact on rescue efforts in the refuge.
The beacon is equipped with lights and signage, making it visible to lost and distressed subjects from a long distance. Currently, there are 14 rescue beacons deployed throughout the Rio Grande Valley Sector and there are plans to increase those numbers in the near future, said the Border Patrol.
