Soldiers Rescue Young Girl Abandoned by Coyotes in the Rio Grande

LAREDO, TX – U.S. soldiers deployed in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working together with Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents, rescued an unaccompanied child in the Rio Grande River.

The rescue occurred during the mid-evening of April 19, when several illegal aliens attempted to cross the Rio Grande River illegally into the United States.  A U.S. Army soldier assigned to support CBP in the area observed three of the four individuals in the group turn back to the Mexican side of the river after being detected.  The soldier noticed the fourth individual left behind on the U.S. side was a young child struggling to get out of the river.  Acting swiftly he assisted the child out of the river onto the U.S. riverbank.

Fortunately, the child, later identified as an undocumented individual from El Salvador, did not require any medical assistance after being rescued.  The child has been turned over to Health and Human Services.

The soldiers, who are under the operational command of U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command's lead for this support mission, are supporting CBP in the Laredo area. This is the second time this year that soldiers in support of CBP along the Southern border have helped save a life in the river.  The river has areas with swift moving waters that are dangerous to those who attempt to cross.

“It is frustrating to me as a parent to see a young child left by smugglers to fend for herself in the swift currents of the Rio Grande River.  With the aid of technology, the smuggling attempt was detected and a U.S. Army soldier supporting our agents was able to quickly get to the lone child and pull her out of the water to safety,” stated Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has a long history of supporting efforts to secure U.S. borders. U.S. Northern Command, through Army North, continues to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security and CBP to ensure the safety and security of our Nation's borders through counterdrug operations, counter transnational organized crime efforts, and other transnational threats.

Despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Border Patrol agents, working with our DOD partners, continue to secure our borders while providing aid to those in need.  Laredo Sector Border Patrol is committed to the mission of the agency to protect the American people by safeguarding our border along with enhancing the Nation’s economic prosperity.