U.S. Border Patrol trains Mexican counterparts in search, rescue efforts

As part of ongoing bi-national efforts, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents spent Jan. 9-20, 2023, training 13 members of Mexico’s border rescue agency, Grupos Beta, to undertake migrant rescue along the United States-Mexican border.

“It is important that we continue working with the Government of Mexico to better protect migrants who are put in deadly situations by smugglers,” San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said. “Having our Mexican partners working with us provides greater impact in saving lives along the border. I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to illegally cross in these remote and inhospitable areas along the border.”

BORSTAR first began joint operations like this under the Bi-National Training Academy in 2004. It first focused on basic first aid and search and rescue training with the government of Mexico, but with the increased flow of migration through the mountainous and dangerous terrain around the border, BORSTAR gradually expanded to include Technical Rope Rescue, Swift Water Awareness, Land Navigation, and Individual First Aid Kit training.