SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — One person is dead and another injured after falling from the border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego late Monday night, authorities confirmed.
The two appeared to have been attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully when the fall occurred.
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According to a Border Patrol spokesperson, San Diego Sector agents first encountered the pair around 11 p.m. after the suspected tumble from the 30-foot barrier.
One was found to be unresponsive when agents arrived and was later declared dead by medical professionals, the spokesperson said. The other migrant was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries. Their current condition remains unknown.
Border Patrol says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility is currently investigating the incident.
Injuries sustained from the border wall — both fatal and non-life-threatening — have been steadily climbing along San Diego’s border over the last few years, following President Donald Trump’s move to increase sections of its height to 30 feet during his first term.
Prior to this change, in 2019, UCSD Health reported treating fewer than 60 patients who had fallen from the border wall. However, that number jumped to upwards of 450 in 2021 alone.
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