YUMA, Ariz. — Border Patrol agents say 17 migrants have been rescued after they crossed into a military bombing range in southwestern Arizona and became lost.
They say emergency services in Mexico relayed a phone call to the Yuma Sector Operations Center from a group lost in the desert around 10 p.m. Monday.
The caller reported that the group was comprised of eight adults and nine juveniles.
Yuma Station agents deployed to the area to search for the migrants and they were found around 11:30 p.m. about 30 miles east of San Luis within the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range.
“This particular area is especially dangerous for illegal border crossers due to the remoteness of the location,” Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony J. Porvaznik, said in a press release. “In addition to the complete lack of adequate infrastructure to stop this occurrence, illegal aliens must contend with the summer heat and the dangers of military training in the area.”
The Goldwater Range is used by Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots out of Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II pilots from Luke AFB and Tucson Air National Guard Base. Marine Corps and Navy pilots flying F/A-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers, F-35Bs and helos out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma also use the range, as do other U.S., NATO and allied flight crews while deployed to those bases.
The range is operated by the Air Force in the east and the Marine Corps in the west.
Border Patrol officials say the migrants didn’t need medical attention and were transported to Yuma Station where they received food and water before being processed for immigration violations.
