No one was injured Monday when three individuals were rescued from atop the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Otay Mesa south of San Diego.
Firefighters responded to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection backup for three individuals who were stuck at the top of the border barrier west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry around 7:30 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Cal Fire San Diego County Capt. Brett Bruno said calls for rescue at the U.S.-Mexico border have become more frequent.
"It's a very common rescue that we have down here in [Otay Mesa]," Bruno said. "They can get up in between the fences but they can't get down on this side without causing significant injury."
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Border Patrol agents confirmed the three Mexican nationals were detained and awaiting processing.
Border Wall Incidents
Since 2019, there has been an increase in accidents and deaths of migrants attempting to jump the border wall in San Diego County. While between 2016 and 2019, 67 accidents were reported, between 2019 and 2021 that number increased to 375.
According to doctors from the UC San Diego medical center, the height of the wall could be behind the increase in deaths and serious injuries on the border.
Customs and Border Protection blames smugglers for the dangers at the border. At the end of May, the agency told Telemundo 20, NBC 7's sister station, in a statement the following:
“The border wall was built to deter illegal crossings, yet smugglers constantly lie to migrants about how easily they can bypass it. It is common for smugglers to instruct them to climb unsafe ropes or ladders to the top of 18- or 30-foot walls without providing a means to climb down the other side. Even a person in optimal physical condition would have difficulty getting down from the structure. When people are injured by falling walls, Border Patrol agents respond to provide them with first aid and get the medical treatment they need. Transnational criminal organizations use these events as distractions to smuggle groups through other areas. These criminals also attempt to smuggle people through dangerous waterways, remote and treacherous terrain, and kidnapped in cars or in the backs of tractor-trailers. All of these can cause serious injury or death.
Local
CBP recently began the process to track falls from border infrastructure. The San Diego Sector Border Patrol is working to improve methods of tracking rescues in each category to include wall fall injuries.”
