(May 6, 2009)

FALFURRIAS--Around the Falfurrias checkpoint, authorities are concerned after four illegal immigrants died from dehydration over the last week. There also have been at least three rescues of illegal immigrants who were trying to walk through that brush country.

The Feliz family came from New York City to South Texas, searching for their love one. They're worried 41 year old Edwin Feliz, a man from the Dominican Republic, may be dead.

They report he crossed the border illegally and got lost while walking around the Falfurrias Checkpoint over the weekend.

"We don't know if he's alive or not, but we want him to be alive," said Manuel Feliz, who is his Feliz' brother. "We want him to be alive. We think he's alive."

With the heat index, the weather has gone over a 100 degrees for the last week in the Falfurrias area. Border Patrol Agents rescued three illegal immigrants over the weekend. They also found four illegals dead between the checkpoint and Falfurrias since last Friday.

"These deaths are attributed to people being in the brush and maybe suffering from dehydration and weather related illness," said John Lopez, a public information officer for the Border Patrol 

Last March, the Border Patrol put up two rescue beacons on trails used by smugglers around the checkpoint. The agency wants to buy more to help illegals who get lost in Brush Country. They're also running a campaign to warn the public about the heat dangers.

"We want to inform the people via the media or local newspapers that it is danger to crossing illegally it is dangerous to cross walk throughout these desert like conditions and not be prepared," Lopez said. 

"We don't want to see nobody dead. We like to pick them up and take them to the hospital where they can get help," said Brooks County Sheriff Rey Rodriguez. 

While heat-related deaths are down during the first four months in South Texas, authorities hope that trend will continue for the rest of the year.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com