RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – North Carolina National Guardsmen and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents rescued a suspected illegal alien who was bitten by a snake while attempting to cross the southern border June 2 at about 10:45 p.m.
While on patrol, Staff Sgt. Sethone Kan with the 252nd Engineering Company, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, or MEB, assigned to Joint Task Force–Southern Border, or JTF-SB, received a call from the Fort Brown Border Patrol Station and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office regarding a suspected illegal alien in distress.
Recognizing the urgency, a joint rescue team was immediately formed, comprising five Army soldiers and three Border Patrol agents, including medics from both branches.
U.S. Army soldiers with the 130th MEB work side by side with the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, throughout the Texas sector, providing unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border.
Because of severe flooding in the area, standard vehicles could not navigate the roads. The team deployed an Army Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV, which is a new, versatile transport vehicle designed to operate in extreme environments. Kan launched a small drone, officially known as an unmanned aerial system, and used its thermal capability to locate the injured individual.
“Around 11:05 p.m., I found him and activated the strobe lights to guide the ISV team to the location,” Kan said.
Simultaneously, U.S. Army Spc. Michael Smith, 252nd Engineering Company, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, successfully drove the vehicle off-road with the rescue team. To navigate the featureless, muddy terrain in the dark, the team relied on the Android Tactical Assault Kit, or ATAK, which is a ruggedized smartphone equipped with military-grade GPS and mapping software.
“It was rough getting through that mud, especially at night,” Smith said. “There were no trails, but we used our ATAK system to navigate to the location marked by the drone's strobe light.”
When the rescue team reached the location, U.S. Army Spc. Brycen Anderson and a Border Patrol medic quickly rendered aid while the rest of the team secured the site.
"When I got there, he was semi-conscious and bleeding from his leg. There was a puncture wound that looked like it was from a snakebite," Anderson said. "His leg appeared to be turning purple from bruising – possible for venom. Also, his foot looked like it was broken."
The team stabilized the man and used the ISV to transport him to a Brownsville Emergency Medical Services, or EMS, team staged on a nearby road. Brownsville EMS then took him to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Customs and Border Protection agents remained with the individual to verify his citizenship status.
At 11:57 p.m., Border Patrol agents confirmed the individual was an illegal alien from Ecuador.
The illegal alien was treated with morphine and anti-inflammatory medication. He also was given antivenom as a precautionary measure. Hours after being rescued, the individual was in stable condition and in Customs and Border Protection custody.
The unity of effort between the Department of War and Department of Homeland Security led to quick detection, resulting in a life saved and the border protected.
U.S. Northern Command established JTF-SB to execute full-scale, agile and simultaneous multi-domain border operations. JTF-SB service members are deployed to protect the United States sovereignty, territorial integrity and security from unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking and other criminal activities. Department of War personnel receive specific training to ensure the humane treatment of all while working in the operational areas related to the southern border.