2 stranded Indians apprehended for trying to enter US illegally

New York, April 20

Two Indian nationals had been apprehended by the patrol agents at the US-Mexico border in Arizona after they got stranded while trying to enter America illegally, authorities said.

The duo, including a Sikh man, called for help using technology installed in remote locations to help people in distress.

Agents assigned to the Ajo Border Patrol Station rescued the two migrants following the activation of a US Border Patrol rescue beacon on Wednesday evening.

They responded to the rescue beacon located approximately 14 miles northwest of the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona and found the two men alone in the beacon.

The two men were in good health, and did not request further medical assistance, the US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

The duo was transported back to the station for processing, where records checks revealed the men were Indian nationals who were trying to enter the US illegally.

The US agency said criminal organisations often abandon migrants in the desert. As a result, many perish along the border every year. US Border Patrol has encouraged anyone in distress to call 911 or activate a rescue beacon before they become a casualty.

Rescue beacons are self-contained solar-powered units placed in remote locations considered to be high risk for people in distress. Their metal trussing, approximately 35 feet in height, is equipped with a high visibility strobe light on top of the structure.

Many of the towers utilise a camera system that is used to determine an appropriate response and aid in the rescue event.

Eye-level at the rescue beacon is a panel with a large red button, instructions in multiple languages, and a pictogram of an individual activating the rescue beacon by hitting the button and then waiting for Border Patrol first responders to arrive.

In fiscal year 2018, the United States Border Patrol apprehended people from 113 countries along the southwest border. PTI