A Mexican immigrant was 'left for dead' by a smuggler during the Texas winter storm, border patrol officials say

• The winter storm in Texas led to the deaths of four migrants who tried get from Mexico to Texas.
• US border officials say they found one woman after her smuggler abandoned her.
• The woman said she survived on her own for six days and hid under rocks during the snowstorm.

As Texans braced in their homes for frigid temperatures in mid-February, smugglers continued to shepherd immigrants across the Mexican-American border, risking hypothermia, frostbite, and even death.

Border patrol agents ultimately rescued over 200 immigrants during the severe weather and found the bodies of four immigrants who succumbed to the winter freeze, according to a press release from the US Customs and Border Protection.

Border patrol officials said one woman was found in the Big Bend Sector in Van Horn, Texas, after a relative called the agency to say that she had been "left for dead" by her smuggler on February 13.

Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin said he was unsurprised that a smuggler abandoned the 43-year-old woman during the trek.

"It's unfortunate so many people place their lives in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers, which often results in a tragic situation like this," McGoffin said. "For smugglers, it's a business and they will leave you behind if you cannot keep up with them."

Agents were unable to find the woman during their search until a local rancher alerted the CBP about an immigrant who appeared on his land.

When questioned by investigators, the woman said she had been by herself for nearly a week and spent three days hiding among rocks as snow fell in the region. When snowfall stopped, she said she found an abandoned shed that she was able to hide in for three days. It was not until her sixth day on her own that she said she came across a dirt road with fresh tire tracks that led her to the rancher.

Once found, border patrol agents brought emergency medical technicians to assist the woman. According to the agency's press release, the EMTs treated her for hypothermia and severe frostbite. The woman had been in the frigid cold for so long that medical professionals at the scene had to elevate her core body temperature before they could safely transport her to a regional hospital.

Border patrol officials said that since receiving "extensive medical treatment," the woman was returned to the agency for "appropriate adjudication," meaning she will likely be sent back to Mexico for illegally crossing the border.