New Mexico experienced its hottest June ever recorded last moth. And temperatures have continued to soar in July, hitting triple digits on a regular basis. Amid this massive heat wave, migrants in Mexico have been urged not to attempt to cross the border by many authorities, ranging from the Mexican government to U.S. Border Patrol.
The number of victims, however, continues to rise as Border Patrol confirmed on Wednesday that its agents located three deceased individuals last Monday near its station in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The area is one of the most active migrant-smuggling corridors in the Southwest border at the moment. According to Border Report, 138 deaths have been reported so far this year, just 11 shy from the record 149 total found in all of 2023.
Different NGOs, however, have claimed that the government is significantly undercounting deaths. In April, Arizona-based No More Deaths published research showing two to four times as many deaths as those reported by the government in West Texas and Southern New Mexico over several years.
Border agents have been working nonstop with first responders in Southern New Mexico to save migrants from dehydrating in the scorching heat and has so far effected 761 rescues in the El Paso Sector that otherwise could have ended up as fatalities.
Border Patrol has also been finding new, innovative ways to provide their service. Agents have placed placards so migrants can phone-in their position if they are injured, as well as "rescue" beacons in the middle of the desert so those lost can approach, push a panic button and summon help.
A few weeks ago, Border Patrol agents also made the news as they made use of a drone to locate a missing child. The drone was equipped with an infrared system, commonly used to detect and scan both people and animals, as well as other elements producing heat. Thanks to this device, the child was located hundreds of yards away at the bottom of the riverbank.
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