DEL RIO, Texas — The Del Rio Sector of the United States Border Patrol held their 2024 Border Safety Event on Tuesday.
This comes just a day after a 9-year-old girl migrant girl died as she tried to cross the Rio Grande in Del Rio with a group of migrant women.
The main focus of the event was on the prevention of undocumented immigrant deaths and how different Border Patrol personnel are involved in rescuing those in danger.
Del Rio Sector Chief Robert Danley kicked off the event by providing an operational update on the dangers of trying to cross the border illegally.
"These folks that cross the border illegally put themselves in very perilous situations," Danley said. "In FY23 (fiscal year), we had over 1,100 rescues and more than 130 deaths that we responded too. One of the stark differences between then and now is that our apprehensions and flow rate have cradled quite a bit."
He went on to say that even though their numbers are down from last year, most of their traffic this year has been evasive as more people are trying to get away in large groups.
Following Danley were representatives from the U.S. Border Patrol EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), BORSTAR (Search, Trauma and Rescue) agent, and ATV's. Each group touched on the ways they help prevent migrant deaths and the role each group has in helping the cause.
The event ended with a video presentation of a the dangers of trying to cross the border illegally on a train and how it can be prevented.
You can watch the recorded livestream of the event below: