One woman drowned and 13 people were pulled out of the water after up to 70 people tried to enter the U.S. illegally from Tijuana by swimming around a barrier in Border Field State Park in San Diego, federal officials say.
U.S. Border Patrol agents found early on Saturday that the woman was not responding after being informed that dozens of immigrants were trying to dig, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
Agents performed the resuscitation themselves and brought in a San Diego emergency medical team, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. San Diego took custody of the body.
The Coast Guard then rescued 13 people from the water. A border patrol, Coast Guard, San Diego firefighters and California state park police officers conducted an investigation of the area and detained 36 Mexican nationals, including 25 men and 11 women.
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“This is another example of the relentless tactics used by smuggling organizations to boost power and profits.” That’s what San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said. “We will work tirelessly to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for this tragedy.”
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Deaths at the borders have risen sharply in the financial year ended 30 September. A total of 557 more than doubled the total in 2020 to a total of 254 deaths. And these sums represent only the corpses found with the participation of the border patrol. Other state and local agencies are also finding the bodies, so the death toll is likely to be higher.
Border Field State Park marks the southwestern corner of the United States, 15 miles south of San Diego. The animal habitat includes sand dunes and salt pans. But park website “He doesn’t recommend swimming or kicking because of dangerous conditions like coastal holes, torn currents and a lack of lifeguards in the park.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Death on the US-Mexico border: woman drowns, 13 people rescued