Tragic video shows young migrants drowning in the Rio Grande, a deadly turn in the escalating border crisis.
The images, taken by fisherman Jesse Vargas, show the heads of three people floating in the water. US Border Patrol, whose agents stood nearby on the shoreline, said only two people were killed.
‘You don’t have life jackets, nothing? They’re drowning these guys! Fisherman Jesse Vargas can be heard yelling at the officers.
“That girl couldn’t get out!” Vargas continued. He used his fishing reel to rescue a boy about 13 years old, but he claims a woman and two teenage boys drowned.
The incident took place after agents “thwarted an attempt at smuggling,” the Border Patrol’s Laredo sector said in a Facebook post.
The post said officers saw several individuals attempting to swim across the Rio Grande River to Mexico and several were taken into custody, while others made it to the Mexican shore safely.
“Two individuals succumbed to the dangerous currents of the Rio Grande River and were killed,” the statement said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Vargas footage shows Mexican authorities recovering a body across the river.
The Customs and Border Patrol’s Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The incident took place on Tuesday, and after posting the video, Vargas told local CBS partner KABB that he received calls from Guatemala and other Central American countries asking about the woman.
The number of people trying to cross the border has increased dramatically, Vargas added. He said he tells migrants that if they are caught, “don’t cross the river.”
The Border Patrol did not immediately return a message from The Post asking for comment.