Armed robberies targeting migrants on the rise

Border Patrol says the summer temperatures and the threat of thieves and smugglers make illegall crossings at the border dangerous, and potentially life threatening

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents released a video capturing its fifth armed robbery this month along the sector's border.

U.S. Border Patrol says the robbery happened on Wednesday along the dry riverbed west of Yuma that divides the U.S. and Mexico. A camera operator spotted an encounter between an armed man and a migrant family of three.

In the video, you can see the armed robber threatening the family with his gun, forcing them to give him a cell phone and approximately 1,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to $50.

Agents say assailant activity is on the rise. Assailants usually wait for migrants to cross the border and rob them using guns, knives, and other weapons.

Although Mexican police are notified, the increase in migrant traffic combined with the acts happening in remote locations makes it difficult to track assailants. Which is one of the many reasons the Border Patrol encourages migrants to seek admission into the U.S. at designated ports of entry.