A 4-year-old child was dropped on the U.S. side of the Mexican border wall, according to surveillance footage capturing the risky yet routine incident.

 

"Surprisingly, the child is okay," tweeted Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, along with the agency's one minute and 37-second video, which was posted on Twitter on Monday. "Don't trust smugglers," he added.

 

The black and white footage appears to show the child and an adult being assisted by another adult to cross the wall between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California, which stands at a height of 30 feet (9.1 meters). Ortiz stated that agents heard gunfire while attending to the child.

 

A 4-year-old was dropped from the border barrier by an unknown subject in San Diego, Monday. Responding Agents and EMS providing first aid to the child also reported gunshots near their position while tending to the child. Remarkably, the child is ok! Do not trust smugglers! pic.twitter.com/MlOp2qka72

— Chief Raul Ortiz (@USBPChief) May 22, 2023

 

The child was accompanied by two adults, all of whom are in Border Patrol custody, agency spokesman Michael Scappechio said on Tuesday. It had not been confirmed whether the adults were the child's parents or their nationality. It was also unclear whether they would be released in the United States to pursue immigration court proceedings or be deported.

 

Attempts to jump the wall occur daily, but it is less common with children of such a young age, said Scappechio.

 

Investigators have found significant increases in deaths and serious injuries associated with attempting to overcome the San Diego wall since its height was increased during the Donald Trump administration. A study published last year in the JAMA Surgery journal found 16 deaths from 2019 to 2021, compared to zero from 2016 to 2018, and 375 serious injuries from 2019 to 2021, compared to 67 from 2016 to 2018.