Migrants Struggling To Swim Back To Mexico Saved From Rio Grande

Coast Guard agents rescued two migrants who were struggling to swim back to Mexico through the Rio Grande, Customs and Border Protection said.

The incident took place on Monday night after a group made landfall on the U.S. side of the river, the agency detailed. Two migrants then attempted to swim back but appeared to be struggling, leading Coast Guard officers to rescue them to prevent a "potential drowning situation."

The victims rejected medical assistance and were then taken to the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center. "While our primary responsibility is securing the border, we remain committed to protecting human life, no matter the circumstances," said RGV Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez.

An investigation published in December by Lighthouse Reports revealed that over 1,100 migrants drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande between 2017 and 2023. The figures peaked in 2022 as the number of border crossings surged.

From 2017 to 2020, most drownings happened near downtown Eagle Pass, but after 2021 fatalities were increasingly found in more isolated areas, such as near Heavenly Farms, where a significant rise in deaths occurred following the installation of new barriers.