Migrant Deaths Surge Along West Texas and New Mexico Border, Taking Toll on Border Agents

SANTA TERESA, N.M. — Just hours before it happened, Border Patrol Agent José Gil had a grim premonition. A sensor on the border was tripped, and he encountered a smuggler, known as a coyote, through the steel border fence. As migrants scattered into the Mexican dunes to hide, Gil issued a stark warning.

"Look, don’t bring them across," Gil told the smuggler. "You are going to kill them. We’ve been finding people here, dying."

Migrant deaths have surged for a second year along this stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, affecting families and taking a hidden toll on the border agents who find bodies or attempt to save those barely alive.

Through Friday, 175 migrants have died in Border Patrol's El Paso Sector this fiscal year, breaking last year's record of 149 deaths — a number far higher than even five years ago, when only 10 migrants died in a year. This surge has left agents like Gil shocked, as migrants are dying within reach of help.

The mental health crisis among Border Patrol agents, spurred by a range of factors, led U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to drastically expand support after 15 agents committed suicide in 2022.

Border Patrol's mission involves unique challenges: constant policy changes, rugged terrain, and hours of solitude in extreme conditions. Gil, who grew up in the desert landscapes of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, joined the Border Patrol after serving in the U.S. Army.

New Resources for Agent Mental Health

Fifteen Border Patrol agents died by suicide in 2022, prompting CBP and the Department of Homeland Security to address the pressures agents face and the impact of the agency’s tough-it-out work culture.

Mental health support for agents has been expanded significantly. Peter Jaquez, CBP's first executive director of workforce care, says, "Changing the culture is one of those things that doesn’t happen overnight. But we’ve taken tremendous strides. We’re removing that stigma of asking for help."

CBP has increased access to mental health resources, including additional training for peer support agents, hiring operational psychologists, and launching a K-9 program to support agent mental health. Ancillary programs such as back-up child care, pet care, financial education, and family days emphasize support for agents and their families.

A crucial policy change now treats mental health like a physical injury, allowing agents to recover and rehabilitate without the punitive risk of losing their badge and gun permanently.

At Border Patrol's El Paso Sector headquarters, Chief Patrol Agent Scott Good has made mental health a priority. "We don't need to be that tough guy or gal," Good said. "We don't have to have our problems and take them home with us and not talk about it."

This year, through Sept. 11, seven Border Patrol agents have committed suicide, including one in El Paso. "Even one is too many," Good said.

When Rescue Attempts Fail

Dozens of Border Patrol agents in El Paso Sector witnessed a death or found a body this summer. In interviews with USA TODAY, five agents shared their experiences. Most of them are military veterans who haven't sought mental health support but appreciate the availability of resources.

Two months ago, Agent Steven Figueroa responded to a group of migrants struggling in the Rio Grande. "One subject, female, she drowned," he said. "It’s just rough. You try so hard to be where you can, to do everything you are taught, everything you would do if it was someone you knew, and it slipped through your fingers."

His supervisor alerted him to available resources, and fellow agents checked in. "They were all asking to see if I was good," he said. "It was nice to see."

Benjamin Guillen Griego, born and raised in El Paso, shared similar sentiments. "We are human ourselves," he said. "It all started with a dream of having that better life and to think their dreams ended up in that spot … they could be out there for months at a time or a year, and their family not knowing."

'Somebody Was Going to Die'

Three hours after Gil warned the smuggler not to cross, roughly 100 migrants began scaling the border fence. He found an older man on his hands and knees in the sand and called for help. Gil borrowed an ATV from another agent who had just found the body of a dead woman and was following protocol.

He then encountered the same smuggler he had warned earlier, along with two other migrants. Gil marched them over to the elderly man, who was now prone, his face in the sand. Gil rolled him over and saw foam around his mouth.

"I told him, ‘Te dije que somebody was going to die,’" Gil said. "You guys are going to have to help me."

Gil called in emergency assistance and raced the elderly man to New Mexico's Highway 9, but it was too late. Despite CPR efforts, the man died.

Gil described the incident while standing in the shadow of the border fence. "That got me really, really bad," he said. "Mentally, I even had a nightmare that night. And I’ve been through a lot. I’ve seen a lot. People, aliens, decapitated because they’ve done an FTY, a failure to yield, and they’ve run into a semi (truck) – stuff like that doesn’t get me. But actually having somebody dying on me like that? And like I said, there was nothing I could do because it’s too late. It’s too late."

If you or someone you know needs support or mental health resources, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@usatoday.com.