The U.S. Border Patrol has rescued three people who were attempting to sneak into the U.S. but became stuck on top of a new section of wall erected by the Trump administration.
“These three were very fortunate to not have fallen from the top of the wall, which could have resulted in serious injury or death,” said Aaron Heitke, acting chief patrol agent in the San Diego sector.
“These dangers are not important considerations to smugglers, who place an emphasis on profits over safety,” he added.
The man and two women attempted to cross under dense fog and managed to climb to the top of the 30-foot section, part of 100 miles of new fence built during the Trump administration.
The trio managed to clear the primary fence along the border but got stock on the fog-slickened secondary fence, which is set back from the actual U.S.-Mexico boundary, creating an enforcement corridor.
While it’s not yet clear how the three got stuck, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said it was likely that smugglers helped them clear the fences but then abandoned them when they got stuck on top.
Border officials called the San Diego Fire Department, which responded with a ladder truck. Firefighters managed to pluck all three of them off of the fence.
Border Patrol officials confirmed the three were of Mexican citizenship and were attempting to cross illegally.
Supervisory Agent Jeffrey R. Stephenson said that there are times when people do fall from the wall and sustain serious injuries.
“The falls have led to numerous serious injuries including broken legs, broken ankles, skull fractures, brain bleeds, broken scapula, fractured vertebrae and appendicitis,” he said.