A Mexican woman trying to climb over the U.S. border fence in Arizona died after she fell from the top of the wall and became entangled in a harness after she had scaled the obstacle with a ladder, the Independent has reported.
The woman "was trapped upside down for a significant amount of time," according to a statement released by the Cochise County Sheriff's Office after her body was discovered near Douglas, Arizona. The statement added that the woman was "transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased."
The woman's family is trying to have her body brought back home to Mexico, seeking the assistance of the local Mexican consul, Ricardo Pineda Albarran, according to the Independent.
Pineda issued a statement criticizing smugglers who promise to transport people across the border in exchange for money, saying "they fooled this woman and her group that it was safe. Imagine how distraught this family is. We condemn this."
Last year, 650 people died attempting to illegally cross the border from Mexico to the United States, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The statement from the sheriff's office pointed out that "these types of incidents are not political," adding that "we have to do better in finding solutions to the challenges facing our border, and we have to do it for the right reasons. Regardless of opinions, it is the facts that should direct our progress, and we will keep working towards a shared goal of border safety and security."