Washington: Smugglers at the US-Mexico border on Wednesday tossed two minor girls, aged 3 and 5, from atop the 14-foot border wall in Santa Teresa, US.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening just west of Mount Cristo Rey, where a Border Patrol camera operator spotted the smugglers by using infrared camera technology.
The shocking 29-second surveillance footage, which was first observed by a Santa Teresa CBP agent, was released to the public by the US Customs and Border Protection. In the video clip, a smuggler was seen dropping a three-year-old girl and a five-year-old girl, sisters from Ecuador, from off the top of the barrier installed at the border, then he quickly runs to the Mexican side and flees along with another smuggler waiting in the ambush.
The camera operator notified fellow agents and directed them to the remote location, where they found the young sisters and rendered aid. Both girls were alert when the agents located them, officials said.
The children were transported to the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station for evaluation, then to a hospital as a precaution. They were medically cleared and remained in temporary custody of the agency, pending placement by the Department of Health and Human Services.
