Tucson Standard

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, a local hunter, and the Mexican Consulate collaborated on November 8 to rescue a Mexican man who had been left behind by his group when he could no longer keep up. This information was released in a news statement from CBP on November 13.

According to the release, on November 8, the International Liaison Unit with the Douglas Station was informed by the Mexican Consulate that an unnamed man from Mexico had been traveling with a group but was abandoned in Rucker Canyon, located 37 miles north of the US/Mexico border. Based on this information, the International Liaison Unit promptly communicated with the station’s Tactical Operations Center, enabling multiple Border Patrol Agents to initiate rescue operations swiftly.

On the same day, a local hunter contacted the Douglas Station after encountering an injured Mexican man in Rucker Canyon. The hunter and two agents proceeded to the remote location and found the man, who reported that he had injured his back and leg and that his group had left him behind. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment.

"Our liaison efforts with our local communities, and our foreign partners are critical to our border security efforts. Every day, these liaison efforts save lives and lead to a safer border for our local communities, the migrants, and our two countries," said McGoffin in the news release.

The Tucson sector encompasses much of Arizona, extending from New Mexico's border to Yuma County’s boundary, covering approximately 262 border miles. It comprises about 3,700 agents across nine stations located in Why, Casa Grande, Douglas, Bisbee, Nogales, Sonoita, Tucson, Three Points, and Wilcox. This information is detailed on CBP’s webpage dedicated to this sector. Initially known as the Nogales Sector upon its establishment on July 1, 1924, its headquarters were relocated to Tucson two years later.

US Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry of individuals and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates at 328 ports of entry while protecting 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.