Tucson Standard

After a 911 call revealed that migrants shot on the Mexican side of the border had crossed into the United States, personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations worked to rescue those migrants and provide medical care. The incident occurred on August 2, according to an August 8 news release from CBP.

The undocumented noncitizens had crossed the border near Papago Farms, Arizona. According to the news release, the UH-60 crew inserted a U.S. Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) team who met with the migrants and determined two people needed advanced medical care. The UH-60 air crew transported the two critical patients directly to a medical center. Two H125 crews assisted, with one providing aerial overwatch and the second coordinating civilian medical transport.

One of the men was uninjured, while the second had a superficial gunshot wound to the arm, according to BORSTAR agents. The migrants were apprehended and processed by BORSTAR agents.

"Our crews are trained to respond to emergency situations. The quick response and expertise of our aircrews and BORSTAR agents are crucial, especially when they encounter individuals with severe, life-threatening injuries," said Jose Muriente, Deputy Director of Air and Marine Operations, Tucson Air Branch. "Tucson Sector BORSTAR's continued partnership with the Tucson Air Branch allows us to rapidly respond to critical and time-sensitive situations like this and action them appropriately with the most qualified personnel."

According to CBP's news release, Air Marine Operations is responsible for anticipating and confronting security threats through aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise, capabilities, and partnerships at the border and beyond. BORSTAR is noted as the only national law enforcement search-and-rescue entity conducting tactical medical or search-and-rescue operations and training for government agencies.

There are 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel within AMO (Air Marine Operations), equipped with more than 200 aircraft and 300 marine vessels. Enforcement operations in fiscal year 2023 led to 1,004 arrests and 89,909 apprehensions of undocumented individuals. Their work also resulted in the seizure or disruption of nearly 260,000 pounds of cocaine, 2,049 pounds of fentanyl, and 4,050 pounds of methamphetamine.

U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry protecting approximately 7,000 miles of land borders and about 95,000 miles of maritime borders.