A search-and-rescue organization has been making trips along the U.S.-Mexico border to help look for migrants. According to border patrol data, there were almost 900 migrant deaths across the border in 2022. The border wall is almost 2,000 miles long. This is a place many try to cross, some dying in the process. "It's sold as an easy route; I believe to a lot of folks," said James Holeman, the co-leader of Battalion Search and Rescue.Battalion Search and Rescue is an organization based in Arizona. Their goal is to find lost and missing migrants in both Arizona and New Mexico. Last Monday, Holeman and Abbey Carpenter, the co-director of the organization, said they encountered Mexican officers on the U.S. side of the border."They asked me in Spanish very clearly, 'where are we located', and I said you're in the U.S. I took out my phone with a hiking app and showed them here's the wall, the fence, and there's Mexico, and this desert is us," Carpenter said.She said during their searches they've also found many remains while searching in Dona Ana County, specifically near Santa Teresa. "We have found 24 sites in that specific area. The deaths have gone through the roof in that area. As well, the majority of the deaths are women," Holeman said. He said they have reached out to officials about the remains, hoping to find closure for the families. "Those people have families; there's mothers and fathers out there with holes in their hearts waiting for answers. That we could give them, that our law enforcement and forensic teams could give them," Holeman said. The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office sent a statement in response saying: "We have no reports of deceased in the Santa Teresa area in 2025 at all. In 2024, we may have had a few, but not many as this isn't a commonly used access area through our county into the US. Countywide in 2024, we responded to nearly 100 deceased in the desert and almost the same number in 2023. Both years, the number of males to females was basically equal. We did note, the deceased appeared to be younger in age than in years past. Previous to 2023, the annual number was under 10. None have been suspicious deaths. We have not heard reports from this group in about 8 months, if I recall correctly. News reports recently suggest they are now in West Texas.They never remained in the area of reported deceased. They provided coordinates days after their searches, citing they couldn't wait for us to meet them as they were too busy. So, they would have no idea if we have been to these locations or not."
A search-and-rescue organization has been making trips along the U.S.-Mexico border to help look for migrants.
According to border patrol data, there were almost 900 migrant deaths across the border in 2022.
The border wall is almost 2,000 miles long. This is a place many try to cross, some dying in the process.
"It's sold as an easy route; I believe to a lot of folks," said James Holeman, the co-leader of Battalion Search and Rescue.
Battalion Search and Rescue is an organization based in Arizona. Their goal is to find lost and missing migrants in both Arizona and New Mexico. Last Monday, Holeman and Abbey Carpenter, the co-director of the organization, said they encountered Mexican officers on the U.S. side of the border.
"They asked me in Spanish very clearly, 'where are we located', and I said you're in the U.S. I took out my phone with a hiking app and showed them here's the wall, the fence, and there's Mexico, and this desert is us," Carpenter said.
She said during their searches they've also found many remains while searching in Dona Ana County, specifically near Santa Teresa.
"We have found 24 sites in that specific area. The deaths have gone through the roof in that area. As well, the majority of the deaths are women," Holeman said.
He said they have reached out to officials about the remains, hoping to find closure for the families.
"Those people have families; there's mothers and fathers out there with holes in their hearts waiting for answers. That we could give them, that our law enforcement and forensic teams could give them," Holeman said.
The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office sent a statement in response saying:
"We have no reports of deceased in the Santa Teresa area in 2025 at all. In 2024, we may have had a few, but not many as this isn't a commonly used access area through our county into the US.
Countywide in 2024, we responded to nearly 100 deceased in the desert and almost the same number in 2023. Both years, the number of males to females was basically equal. We did note, the deceased appeared to be younger in age than in years past. Previous to 2023, the annual number was under 10. None have been suspicious deaths.
We have not heard reports from this group in about 8 months, if I recall correctly. News reports recently suggest they are now in West Texas.
They never remained in the area of reported deceased. They provided coordinates days after their searches, citing they couldn't wait for us to meet them as they were too busy. So, they would have no idea if we have been to these locations or not."
