illegal aliens stranded
© U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionCrews were called to rescue illegal aliens who had become stranded atop a snowcapped mountain in southern Arizona.
Border Patrol agents worked together to rescue five illegal aliens who were trapped on a snowy mountain in Arizona on Thursday, U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed.

Officials say late in the day on Wednesday, Tucson Sector Border Patrol and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office (SCCSO) received 9-1-1 calls from one of the men, who managed to contact their number and ask for assistance. SCCSO coordinated efforts with a Department of Public Safety (DPS) aircrew who spotted the group on the mountain south of Tucson just after 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning, but had to postpone rescue operations until dawn as conditions worsened during the night.

At daybreak, CBP said agents at the Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team hiked to reach the stranded group. When they arrived, agents performed a medical check on the five men to stabilize their conditions and determined they weren't fit enough to walk back to safety.

Men airlifted
© U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionThe men were airlifted to medical personnel on the ground, where they were transported to a nearby hospital.
"All five men, three Honduran nationals and two Mexican nationals illegally present in the country, were exhausted and had injuries caused by the snow and freezing temperatures to their extremities," said CBP.

With the five men in no condition to walk, agents called for a helicopter to airlift them off the mountain, according to the release. They were taken to a nearby road where medical personnel from the Green Valley Fire District drove them to a hospital.

CBP said the men will be processed for immigration violations once their physical conditions improve.