SAN DIEGO — There have been more than 100 border-related deaths across the Southwest this fiscal year as temperatures reach triple digits, according to Border Patrol.

What You Need To Know

  • Border Patrol says since May 1, the El Centro sector has conducted more than 40 rescue operations in the desert

  • Volunteers have been dropping supplies in remote places along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to ease the suffering of any migrants who pass through regardless of immigration status

  • There have been more than 100 border-related deaths across the Southwest this fiscal year as temperatures reach triple digits, according to Border Patrol

  • Many organizations schedule weekly drops in San Diego and Imperial Counties

Compassion and love drive Maria Horsley to hike in the wilderness during the hottest part of the year. She’s a volunteer with Borderlands Relief Collective and has been dropping supplies in remote places along the U.S.-Mexico border. Her hope is it will help ease the suffering of any migrants who pass through, regardless of immigration status.

“I’m going to be restocking first aid kits today," Horsley said. "We bring out liters of water, some sort of sports drink like a Gatorade or electrolyte.”

Horsley says people crossing the wild lands face extraordinary threats to life and safety, with dehydration and starvation some of the deadliest risks. In the Otay Mountain region, she says they will often face thousands of feet climbing up mountains.

“The temperatures alone are extremely deadly," she said. "You’re looking at extreme weather conditions and very rugged terrain.”

Along the border wall near El Centro, discarded water bottles litter the ground to mark where many people have passed through.

Border Patrol Agent Jose Enriquez says while migrant deaths in the desert receive increased attention in the summer months, it’s a lethal issue that’s been raging for decades. Border Patrol says since May 1, the El Centro sector has conducted more than 40 rescue operations in the desert, a slightly lower number than the same time last year.  

“Depending on where [the migrants are], depending on how far they’ve gone, they’re completely exhausted, they’re dehydrated, scared and sometimes they’re even going into a little bit of a heat stroke,” Enriquez said.

Enriquez says his team are all trained as first responders and while their primary job is to keep the border secure, they’ll also work to save lives from the harsh conditions when the need arises.

“Everybody wants the American dream but the dangers and the reality is when you come here and you get to the border and then you have to cross and get to these extreme heat, it’s dangerous,” he said. “Don’t try it. Your lives are worth more.”

Horsley knows many people are so desperate to get into America that they’ll push on despite the danger. She hopes her contribution and the dedication of other organizations doing the same work will help when people need it the most.

“It’s a big time commitment, and it’s a big physical commitment and it’s mentally a large load. It’s heavy work,” Horsley said. “We all have the same end desire, and that is to prevent death and suffering.”