The imminent arrival of harsh winter conditions in San Diego County has sparked a warning from the U.S. Border Patrol to migrants contemplating the perilous trek across the border, citing a significant risk of injury, illness, or worse due to the frigid climate, particularly in the mountainous regions. San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel sternly advised against illegal crossings, emphasizing the callous nature of smugglers who view migrants merely as a source of profit, "Our message to migrants who are thinking of illegally crossing the border is this: do not put your lives at risk,” McGurk-Daniel said, "The smugglers do not care about you. They have abandoned others in the past and left numerous migrants to fend for themselves," according to a release by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

With San Diego Sector Border Patrol having engaged in over 5,600 rescue missions in the Fiscal Year 2023, the potential for disaster is underscored by historic tragedies, such as the February 2020 incident where three sisters were abandoned by a smuggler and succumbed to the cold in the Laguna Mountains signaling the severity of the risk involved. Despite substantial efforts by CBP to assist those in danger through public service announcements and the equipping of agents with emergency supplies, the bone-chilling cold awaiting migrants remains a potent threat that can lead to hypothermia, frostbite, or even death if they are not prepared for the punishing conditions even which migrants will not be adequately warned nor guided by their profit-seeking guides.

U.S. Border Patrol has ramped up its protective measures including the dispatch of BORSTAR, a specialized rescue team, as well as deploying rescue beacons in high-risk areas and ensuring all agents are trained in first response tactics. This is part of their wider mission to prevent the potentially fatal consequences of exposure to cold weather for migrants attempting to navigate one of the country' most unforgiving terrains.