Lucky To Be Alive: Illegal Migrant Highlights The Perils Of Border Crossing (WATCH)

He was deserted in the Texas desert by smugglers he had paid $3,000 to transport him across the southern border into the United States.

Hector was expected to pay an additional $3,000 upon reaching his destination, Indianapolis, where his father is employed as a roofer.

Due to a medical condition causing his muscles to deteriorate from overuse, Hector was unable to keep pace with the group. The smugglers, having already received half of their $6,000 fee, showed no concern for his plight. The remaining members of his group, numbering around ten, continued their journey, leaving Hector alone in the desolate expanse of Terrell County, Texas, a region with a sparse population of 760, or approximately one individual for every three square miles.

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Hector, whose surname was not disclosed, sought refuge in a rancher's RV for two days. In a bid to draw attention, he fashioned a flag from a pillowcase and a pipe and displayed his Mexican passport to a game camera.

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, upon seeing this, set out to locate Hector. NewsNation's Ali Bradley accompanied him. Hector, visibly distressed and tearful, expressed his desire to return home to his mother in Spanish. He recounted how he was abandoned in the hills and sought help at the ranch.

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March 25, 2024

Sheriff Cleveland, who has patrolled the border for 26 years, first with the Border Patrol and then as sheriff, told Bradley that Hector's condition was the worst he had ever seen. Hector revealed that he had fled Mexico due to pressure to work for a drug cartel.

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"They threatened me in Tehuacan if I didn't work for the narcos, because I was indebted to them," Hector said. "So I focused on getting out of Tehuacan as soon as I could."

Sheriff Cleveland transported Hector to a hospital for treatment. Following his recovery, Hector returned to Mexico, facing an uncertain future.

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Despite his ordeal, Hector is considered lucky, not least because he has a family in Mexico to return to. NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas reported that the International Organization for Migration, the U.N.'s migration agency, has labeled the journey from Mexico across the border as "the deadliest land route for migrants in the world."

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The organization reported that 686 individuals, to their knowledge, had either died or disappeared while attempting to cross the border illegally in 2022 alone. Sheriff Cleveland informed NewsNation that his office had discovered 37 bodies in Terrell County over the past three years, equating to approximately one per month during the Biden administration. This figure represents a significant increase from the roughly one body recovered annually prior to this period.