EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso authorities are working to rescue a person from the Rio Grande canal.
Information is limited at the moment, but the El Paso Police Department stated that it is assisting U.S. Border Patrol agents in rescuing a person from the water at the Rio Grande Levee #20.
The call came in at 1 p.m.
The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector is warning people on both sides of the border about the dangers and consequences of entering the International Boundary and Water Commission canals that parallel the U.S.- Mexico border.
Every year, large volumes of water are released into the canals from reservoirs upstream in New Mexico for the irrigation season, officials said.
The canals are deeper than they appear and often carry strong water currents and a powerful undertow.
Officials also said criminal smugglers often endanger the lives of illegal aliens by telling them to jump into the canal to avoid apprehension by Border Patrol agents. Illegal aliens sometimes drown because the currents are too strong.
“Mexican Cartel criminal smugglers recklessly endanger the lives of illegal aliens who do not understand the dangers of illegal entry through the canals,” said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz. “Illegal aliens who cross illegally also need to understand they face consequences for violations of Title 8 of the U.S. Code which include prosecution, deportation and a ban on reentry to the United States.”
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