The tragic video seems to show young migrants drowning in Rio Grande, a deadly turn in the escalation of the border crisis.
The footage, made by fisherman Jesse Vargas, shows the heads of three people floating in the water. The United States Border Patrol, whose agents were on the nearby coast, said only two people died.
“You don’t have life jackets, anything? They are drowning these guys! ”Fisherman Jesse Vargas can be heard shouting at the agents.
“That girl never left!” Vargas continued. He used his fishing reel to save a boy, about 13, but claims that a woman and two teenagers drowned.
The incident occurred after agents “thwarted an attempt to smuggle people,” the Laredo sector of the Border Patrol 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 managed to reach the Mexican river bank safely.
“Two individuals succumbed to the dangerous currents in Rio Grande and died,” said the statement, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Vargas’ video shows Mexican authorities recovering a body from the opposite bank of the river.
The Office of Professional Responsibility for Customs and Border Patrol is reviewing the incident, reported the Houston Chronicle.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, and after posting the video, Vargas told KABB, a local CBS affiliate, that he has 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, added Vargas. He said he tells migrants that, if caught, “don’t cross the river”.
Border Patrol did not immediately return a message from The Post asking for comment.