Immigrant drowns on golf course near Palmview (The Monitor)

Immigrant drowns on golf course near Palmview
July 27, 2010 11:18 AM
Jared Taylor
The Monitor

NEAR PALMVIEW — A youth drowned early Monday morning after a group of illegal immigrants attempted to hide in a pond, authorities said.

U.S. Border Patrol agents tracked a group of about 20 illegal immigrants on the Martin Valley Ranch, 7400 W. Expressway 83, about 2 a.m. Monday, said local agency spokesman Joe Treviño.

The group apparently tried to hide in a manmade pond on a golf course, Treviño said. One person, a male believed to be a teenager, did not surface from the pond.

With the help of a Border Patrol helicopter patrolling the area, agents arrested 22 other immigrants in the area, including a man suspected of smuggling the group into the U.S.

"We’re not really clear as to why they might have been trying to avoid detection by getting in the water," Treviño said.

Agents called in the Mission Fire Department dive team to the pond, and a sonar examination revealed a body below the surface Monday morning.

The accidental death case was turned over to Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents continue to investigate the smuggling attempt.

An autopsy revealed the youth drowned in the pond, said Hidalgo County sheriff's Capt. John Montemayor.

The victim has not been positively identified by his family, but others arrested Monday told deputies his name and that he likely was from Guatemala, Montemayor said. Deputies are working with Guatemalan consular officials to locate the youth’s family.

A representative at Martin Valley Ranch said no one was available to comment Tuesday.