A Guatemalan migrant delivered a baby girl at a San Diego-area U.S. Border Patrol station 30 minutes after she allegedly illegally crossed the border into the United States over the weekend, the U.S. Border Patrol said Wednesday.
Border Patrol agents and medical staff helped the 27-year-old woman -- who had crossed the border with two other children and their father -- deliver the newborn in a prepared area Sunday afternoon, USBP said.
There were no complications during or after the birth, USBP Agent Justin Castrejon said. Both were taken to an area hospital immediately after the birth.
A half-hour before delivering the child, an agent spotted the visibly pregnant woman and her family cross the border. Border Patrol said that the woman didn't show any signs of distress, which is why she was taken to a processing station first.
It was at the station when medical staff noticed the woman was in labor, USBP said.
Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke praised the work of their agency's medical staff for being prepared to deliver the child.
San Diego sector border patrol stations have been staffed since July 2019 with around-the-clock medical staff. The agency said the additional staffing allows border patrol agents to focus on security while ensuring migrants have proper medical care.
Local
The U.S. Border Patrol said they have made 33 hospital transports for pregnancy-related incidents since Oct. 1, 2019.
