Border Patrol Agents Risk All to Save 4 Drowning Illegal Aliens
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by BOB PRICE
26 Jul 2016
U.S. Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, risked their lives by jumping into the Rio Grande River to rescue four illegal aliens who nearly drowned crossing from Mexico. Though heavily unreported, Border Patrol agents frequently put their lives at risk to rescue illegal aliens who have put themselves in dangerous situations.
A Border Patrol agent working in the Laredo Sector observed a group of four illegal aliens who had gotten into trouble while attempting to swim across the Rio Grande River, information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed. One of the agents jumped into the river to rescue the four illegal aliens. He reached the group in time and managed to pull them to safety.
Border Patrol Agent Hector Garza, acting in his capacity as president of National Border Patrol Council Local 2455, told Breitbart Texas, “This is not the first time our agents have jumped into the Rio Grande River and risked their lives in order to save illegal immigrants in distress.”
Garza recounted a similar incident that occurred last year when he and some of his fellow agents jumped into the river to rescue an illegal alien who was lying unconscious on a sandbar in the middle of the river. The agents gave the man CPR and revived him. The river can be surprisingly treacherous, he explained. “In Mexico, the Rio Grande River is known as ‘Rio Bravo’ (Fierce River),” Garza said.
“Unfortunately, these acts of heroism are not acknowledged by the non-governmental organizations that accuse agents of being abusive to illegal immigrants,” Garza stated. “They also accuse agents of ‘going rogue’.”
The incident this weekend happened on Friday at about 1 a.m. Hearing noise from the river, the agents observed the group having a difficult time keeping their heads above the water, CBP officials stated.
Colleen Anderson, wife of Border Patrol Agent Anthony Anderson, said on a Facebook post that her husband was the agent who risked his life by jumping into the river. She posted, “He may not be named in the article but I’m damn proud to be married to this man and proud to bleed green. With all the negative about any law enforcement in the news lately it is so nice to have something good your husband did in the news! I know those 4 people were very thankful for him last night.”
The Sun Herald from Biloxi, Mississippi, claimed Anderson as a native son of the “Magnolia State.” Mrs. Anderson told the local newspaper her husband grew up in Pearlington and attended Hancock High School. He joined the Border Patrol in 2008 and the couple moved to Laredo the following year, the Sun Herald reported.
CBP officials stated three of the individuals rescued were from Guatemala. The fourth was from El Salvador.
“The Rio Grande River is dangerous and despite the dangers, undocumented immigrants still risk their life attempting to swim across this unpredictable river,” Laredo Sector Border Patrol Chief Mario Martinez said. “This rescue is an example of a Border Patrol agent going above and beyond his duty. I commend his actions in risking his life to save others.”
A Border Patrol agent working in the Rio Grande Valley Sector on Thursday morning around 3 a.m. rescued a drowning woman near Hidalgo, Texas. The woman was with a group of eight illegal aliens who were attempting to cross from Mexico into Texas, CBP officials stated. Her human smugglers ignored her cries for help so the agent threw her a rope and pulled her to safety.
“This young woman’s life was saved thanks to the actions agents took today,” Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr. said in the written statement. “We will count on the community and the media to bring awareness to the inhumane acts of human smugglers who continually place migrant’s lives in danger.”
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/...llegal-aliens/
