Stranded Indians held for trying to enter US illegally

New York, April 20

Two Indian nationals have been apprehended by the patrol agents at the US-Mexico border in Arizona after they got stranded while trying to enter America illegally, authorities said.

The duo, including a Sikh man, called for help using technology installed in remote locations to help people in distress.

Agents assigned to the Ajo Border Patrol Station rescued the two migrants following the activation of a US border patrol rescue beacon on Wednesday evening. They responded to the rescue beacon located approximately 14 miles northwest of the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona and found the two men alone in the beacon.

The two men were in good health and did not request further medical assistance, the US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

The duo was transported back to the station for processing, where record checks revealed the men were Indian nationals who were trying to enter US illegally.

The US agency said criminal organisations often abandon migrants in the desert. As a result, many perish along the border every year. US Border Patrol has encouraged anyone in distress to call 911 or activate a rescue beacon before they become a casualty.

Rescue beacons are self-contained solar powered units placed in remote locations considered to be high risk for people in distress. Their metal trussing, approximately 35 ft in height, is equipped with a high visibility strobe light on top of the structure. — PTI