Three people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border were found dead in two separate incidents on March 14, according to the U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sector.
The first case was near the Cuchama Truck Trail in the Otay Mountain Wilderness, where Border Patrol agents from the Brown Field station responded to a rescue call. When they arrived, they found an adult woman who had placed the distress call, as well as another woman who was already deceased.
Interviews state that both had crossed into the U.S. illegally, roughly five miles west of the Tecate Port of Entry. Emergency medical personnel arrived to assess the situation, and after being cleared, the surviving woman was taken to a Border Patrol station for processing and eventual removal. The San Diego Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation and the recovery of the deceased.
Less than an hour later, another distress call came in from the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area, this time reaching Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista station. Three people reported being lost and experiencing hypothermia, difficulty breathing, and a lack of food, water, and phone battery. When agents arrived, they discovered a 16-year-old girl and two deceased men—one of whom was identified as her father. EMS was called to the scene, and the girl was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Once cleared, she was transported to a Border Patrol station for further processing. As with the earlier case, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office assumed control of the investigation and recovery efforts.
The following night, at 11:05 p.m., Border Patrol agents from Brown Field responded to another distress call from the Otay Mountains, this time from a man stranded with an ankle injury. With assistance from an Army helicopter, agents located him and determined he had entered the country illegally. Though he declined medical treatment, agents provided food, water, and electrolytes before transporting him off the mountain for processing and removal.
These incidents took place during a storm that brought near-freezing temperatures to the region’s mountains.
The San Diego Sector continues to stress the dangers of crossing the border illegally, where extreme conditions can quickly turn deadly.
“Our message for anyone who might attempt an illegal crossing into the U.S. is simple: Don’t do it,” said San Diego Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker. “The Otay Mountain Wilderness is unpredictable and unforgiving.”
