Overview

• Hector, an 18-year-old from Mexico, was abandoned by smugglers in the Texas desert after being unable to keep up with his group.
• He used a game camera to signal for help, showing his Mexican passport, which led to his rescue by Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland.
• Hector paid smugglers $3,000 to help him cross the border, with another $3,000 due upon reaching his destination in Indianapolis.
• He sought to escape cartel threats in Mexico and hoped to rescue his family from the cartel by reaching the United States.
• After his rescue, Hector was hospitalized for muscle deterioration likely caused by overuse and was later sent back to Mexico.