Borderline by Vincent Vargas

Author:Vincent Vargas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

7

BORSTAR

As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, BORSTAR was created about a quarter century ago to deal with urgent medical issues of migrants in distress as well as injuries to Border Patrol agents. BORSTAR is located at the U.S. Border Patrol’s Special Operations Group (SOG) Headquarters in El Paso, Texas.

From the time I became a Border Patrol agent, I had my eye on BORSTAR and aspired to join. It seemed like the most righteous work I could do—protect our border while simultaneously rendering aid to the most desperate and vulnerable people who had, literally, no one else that cared whether they lived or died.

Although BORSTAR selection was its own little hell, there was a silver lining to that time: It gave me a deep respect and appreciation for how well the instructor cadre prepared me and my fellow fledgling BORSTAR agents for what we would encounter in the field.

If you have never heard of BORSTAR, here is a bit of blocking and tackling that explains what the unit does.

The key words here are search and rescue—getting to people before the elements claim them. The tragic death of fifty-three migrants who were inside a semitruck near San Antonio in June 2022 tells you all you need to know about the extreme temperatures at our southern border, as well as the cavalier attitude of the coyotes who bring them here. More on the coyotes in a bit.

As comprehensive as the BORSTAR selection process was, once we completed that and arrived at our units, there was even more training we needed to accomplish, and it was intense. We received advanced specialized training in emergency medicine, tactical medicine, technical rope rescue, helicopter rope suspension, rescue watercraft/boat operations, personnel recovery, tactical combat casualty care, and advanced dive, swift-water rescue. With all that training, I wasn’t the only BORSTAR agent who had a bit of a swagger.

Once we graduated from the BORSTAR Academy, we all were sent back to our sectors. The Del Rio team went back to work on some of the issues in our area of operation. During that summer, 2012, we lost close to sixty migrants trying to cross the border. The heat can be unforgiving.

The reason for these deaths is easy to understand. Most border crossings happen at night, either with coyotes dumping people once they make it across the border or people finding their own way across without knowing anything about the geography or terrain. By the time the sun comes up, it’s almost too late for them if they haven’t been able to find significant shelter.

The reason these people are so vulnerable—and where BORSTAR agents are crucial in helping save lives—is that many of these people purposely don’t seek shelter because they think if they lay up somewhere, they will be sitting ducks for the Border Patrol. These are the sad realities of it all. These desperate people are willing to risk their lives for the chance to come to America, and their way of doing so actually causes many to lose their lives needlessly.

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