A 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died last week after from suffering dehydration while in the custody of U. S. Customs and Border Protection, according to officials.<\/b>
\nDec. 14 (UPI) — A 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died last week after from suffering dehydration while in the custody of U. S. Customs and Border Protection for 90 minutes, according to officials.
„Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and the best efforts of the medical team treating the child, we were unable to stop this tragedy from occurring,“ the Department of Homeland Security said, reported NBC News .
The Washington Post reported the girl’s death on Thursday.
On Friday afternoon, the Guatemalan Embassy and CBP confirmed the girl’s name as Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin. She and her father were detained by the CBP after they illegally crossed over the U. S. border into a remote area of New Mexico called Antelope Wells with about 160 other migrants.
Jakelin’s father reportedly told media she fell ill and began vomiting.
The group of migrants were then transported by bus from Antelope Wells to a border station in Lordsburg, New Mexico. When they arrived 90 minutes later, she was not breathing. Emergency workers revived her twice before transporting her by air to an El Paso, Texas hospital. She died Dec.8 of cardiac arrest.
Department of Homeland Security responded to the tragedy on its Facebook page:
„As we have repeatedly said, traveling north illegally into the United States is extremely dangerous. Drug cartels, human smugglers and the elements pose deadly risks to anyone who attempts to cross the border illegally. Once again, we are begging parents to not put themselves or their children at risk by attempting to enter illegally. Please, we are begging you, present yourselves and your children at a port of entry and seek to enter legally and safely.“
In a statement on the U. S. Customs website, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said, „Despite our trained EMT agents‘ best efforts fighting for Jakelin’s life, and the work of the Hidalgo County and Providence Children’s Hospital medical teams treating her, we were unable to rescue her.“
McAleenan added, „We welcome the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation and will review the incident operationally to learn from this tragedy.“
The Office of Inspector General plans to investigate the incident, according to NBC News. .<\/p>\n