Border Patrol searches for missing 2-year-old girl in Rio Grande
Divers are searching for a 2-year-old girl believed to have gone missing in the Rio Grande River near Del Rio, Texas, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Tuesday. Agents from the Del Rio Border Patrol Station said a woman from Haiti told them Monday that she had lost her daughter, a national of Brazil, while crossing the river.
"Any time a child is lost it is a tragic event," Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz said in a statement. "I cannot imagine the anguish the parents of this young girl must be feeling and I hope our search efforts pay off with a positive outcome."
CBP said the search began Monday night with assistance by law enforcement teams from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and continued throughout the day Tuesday with help from a remotely operated submersible, a dive team and other officials.
The latest possible drowning comes just one week after a man from El Salvador, Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, drowned along with his almost 2-year-old daughter, Valeria, while trying to cross. According to Martinez's wife, the pair had successfully crossed the river on their first attempt. But when he came back for his wife, Valeria tried to follow and although Martinez grabbed her, they were caught in the currents.
The photo of the two laying face down with the girl's arm around his neck made national headlines. The family decided to cross the Rio Grande after weeks of trying to seek asylum from Mexico.
Even President Trump reacted to the photo last week, saying "I hate it," but he quickly pivoted to blaming Democrats for the conditions.
