Rio Grande deaths: Tragic photo shows migrant father, toddler who died trying to cross - CBS News

A tragic image from the southern border reveals the grim reality facing many Central American migrants who make the dangerous journey.

The image shows a young father and his daughter who died trying to cross the Rio Grande in south Texas. They were found in shallow water, a few hundred yards from where they tried to cross. The girl is still clinging to her father's neck. This follows outrage over U.S. officials returning more than 100 migrant children to a facility where they reportedly lived in inhumane conditions.

The father, Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, had traveled from El Salvador with his family, hoping to claim asylum in the United States. On Sunday, Martinez's wife said the family decided to try and cross the Rio Grande. 

The bodies of a Salvadoran migrant and his nearly 2-year-old daughter  Julia Le Duc / AP

She said her husband and daughter made it across on the first attempt. But when he tried to go back for his wife, the toddler tried to follow and fell into the water. She said Martinez grabbed the toddler, but the two were swept away by the current and couldn't get out.

The tragic story comes as CBS News is learning more about the migrant children who are being held at border facilities. One hundred children were returned to a Texas facility yesterday, after more than 300 had been removed following reports that they were living in horrible conditions.

Customs and Border Protection says they have less than 1,000 unaccompanied children in custody and that they're using the facility again to help streamline the transfer of the migrant children to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Lawyers who inspected this facility last week told us they found children who were hungry, and didn't have regular access to soap and showers. Many were sleeping on concrete floors, they added.

A CBP official told reporters yesterday that "I personally don't believe these allegations."

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2019-06-26 11:22:00Z
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A woman watched her husband and daughter drown at the Mexican border, report says - CNN

The shocking image captured Monday was a grim reminder of the dangerous journey migrants take to the United States. Oscar Alberto Martínez had crossed the Rio Grande and turned around to get his wife when his 23-month-old daughter saw him swimming away and jumped after him, a journalist says.

The father clung to the little girl in red pants and black shoes, but a strong current swept over and drowned them, Julia Le Duc, the photographer who captured the image of the pair, wrote for Mexican newspaper, La Jornada.

The newspaper talked to the man's wife, Tania, who said she saw her husband and child drown Sunday. Their bodies were found on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

A grim glimpse into immigrants' peril

The haunting image offers a glimpse into the suffering asylum seekers face on the US-Mexico border. The young girl, Angie Valeria M., and her father were from El Salvador, and died as they tried to cross into the United States. Angie's mother gave her age as 23 months old, the newspaper said.

Their bodies were found Monday near Matamoros, across the river from Brownsville, Texas.

They had spent months waiting for asylum

The family had been waiting in a migrant camp in Matamoros for an appointment to receive political asylum from the US, the newspaper said, citing Martinez's wife.

After two months of waiting in scorching heat -- temperatures climbed to 113 degrees Fahrenheit at times -- the family decided to cross the river out of desperation, La Jornada reported. The victim's wife said they had obtained a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government.

Ports of entry along the border have long been overwhelmed by the surging asylum claims, Customs and Border Protection officials have said.

But US policies that make it harder for those seeking asylum to turn themselves in at ports of entry are pushing more migrants to take deadly risks and cross in more dangerous areas, advocates have said, warning the number of deaths at the border will increase.

Turnbacks and long waits also often push asylum seekers into crossing the border illegally, according to a September report by the Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.

This new image is reminiscent of the iconic 2015 photo of a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey. The photo shocked and moved UN and European leaders and stirred discussion over immigration policies.

Salvadoran officials warn residents

The two deaths promoted Salvadoran Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill to beg citizens to stay in the country and work with the government as it tries to resolve the economic issues that push so many to leave.

"Our country is in mourning, again," she said. "I beg you, to all the families, parents, don't risk it. Life is worth a lot more."

Hill said the government is working with Mexican authorities to repatriate the remains.

El Salvador's newly elected President Nayib Bukele said the government would help the family financially.

Reactions from presidential candidates

As news of the image spread, presidential candidates blamed the deaths on the administration.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called the situation "inhumane."

"These families seeking asylum are often fleeing extreme violence," she tweeted. "And what happens when they arrive? Trump says, 'Go back to where you came from.' That is inhumane. Children are dying. This is a stain on our moral conscience."

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said "Trump is responsible for these deaths."

"As his administration refuses to follow our laws -- preventing refugees from presenting themselves for asylum at our ports of entry -- they cause families to cross between ports, ensuring greater suffering & death. At the expense of our humanity, not to the benefit of our safety," he said on Twitter.

CNN's Natalie Gallón reported from Mexico City, and Steve Almasy and Christina Maxouris wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ana Melgar, Andrea Diaz and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

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2019-06-26 10:05:00Z
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A woman watched her husband and daughter drown at the Mexican border, report says - CNN

The shocking image captured Monday was a grim reminder of the dangerous journey migrants take to the United States. Oscar Alberto Martínez had crossed the Rio Grande River and turned around to get his wife when his 23-month-old daughter saw him swimming away and jumped after him, a journalist says.

The father clung to the little girl in red pants and black shoes, but a strong current swept over and drowned them, Julia Le Duc, the photographer who captured the image of the pair, wrote for Mexican newspaper, La Jornada.

The newspaper talked to the man's wife, Tania, who said she saw her husband and child drown Sunday. Their bodies were found on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

A grim glimpse into immigrants' peril

The haunting image offers a glimpse into the suffering asylum seekers face on the US-Mexico border. The young girl, Angie Valeria M., and her father were from El Salvador, and died as they tried to cross into the United States. Angie's mother gave her age as 23 months old, the newspaper said.

Their bodies were found Monday near Matamoros, across the river from Brownsville, Texas.

They had spent months waiting for asylum

The family had been waiting in a migrant camp in Matamoros for an appointment to receive political asylum from the US, the newspaper said, citing Martinez's wife.

After two months of waiting in scorching heat -- temperatures climbed to 113 degrees Fahrenheit at times -- the family decided to cross the river out of desperation, La Jornada reported. The victim's wife said they had obtained a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government.

Ports of entry along the border have long been overwhelmed by the surging asylum claims, Customs and Border Protection officials have said.

But US policies that make it harder for those seeking asylum to turn themselves in at ports of entry are pushing more migrants to take deadly risks and cross in more dangerous areas, advocates have said, warning the number of deaths at the border will increase.

Turnbacks and long waits also often push asylum seekers into crossing the border illegally, according to a September report by the Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.

This new image is reminiscent of the iconic 2015 photo of a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey. The photo shocked and moved UN and European leaders and stirred discussion over immigration policies.

Salvadoran officials warn residents

The two deaths promoted Salvadoran Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill to beg citizens to stay in the country and work with the government as it tries to resolve the economic issues that push so many to leave.

"Our country is in mourning, again," she said. "I beg you, to all the families, parents, don't risk it. Life is worth a lot more."

Hill said the government is working with Mexican authorities to repatriate the remains.

El Salvador's newly elected President Nayib Bukele said the government would help the family financially.

Reactions from presidential candidates

As news of the image spread, presidential candidates blamed the deaths on the administration.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called the situation "inhumane."

"These families seeking asylum are often fleeing extreme violence," she tweeted. "And what happens when they arrive? Trump says, 'Go back to where you came from.' That is inhumane. Children are dying. This is a stain on our moral conscience."

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said "Trump is responsible for these deaths."

"As his administration refuses to follow our laws -- preventing refugees from presenting themselves for asylum at our ports of entry -- they cause families to cross between ports, ensuring greater suffering & death. At the expense of our humanity, not to the benefit of our safety," he said on Twitter.

CNN's Natalie Gallón reported from Mexico City, and Steve Almasy and Christina Maxouris wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ana Melgar, Andrea Diaz and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

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2019-06-26 09:42:00Z
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Woman watched her husband and daughter drown at the Mexican border, newspaper says - CNN

The shocking image captured Monday was a grim reminder of the dangerous journey migrants take to the United States. Oscar Alberto Martínez had crossed the Rio Grande River and turned around to get his wife when his 23-month-old daughter saw him swimming away and jumped after him, a journalist says.

The father clung to the little girl in red pants and black shoes, but a strong current swept over and drowned them, Julia Le Duc, the photographer who captured the image of the pair, wrote for Mexican newspaper, La Jornada.

The newspaper talked to the man's wife, Tania, who said she saw her husband and child drown Sunday. Their bodies were found on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

A grim glimpse into immigrants' peril

The haunting image offers a glimpse into the suffering asylum seekers face on the US-Mexico border. The young girl, Angie Valeria M., and her father were from El Salvador, and died as they tried to cross into the United States. Angie's mother gave her age as 23 months old, the newspaper said.

Their bodies were found Monday near Matamoros, across the river from Brownsville, Texas.

They had spent months waiting for asylum

The family had been waiting in a migrant camp in Matamoros for an appointment to receive political asylum from the US, the newspaper said, citing Martinez's wife.

After two months of waiting in scorching heat -- temperatures climbed to 113 degrees Fahrenheit at times -- the family decided to cross the river out of desperation, La Jornada reported. The victim's wife said they had obtained a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government.

Ports of entry along the border have long been overwhelmed by the surging asylum claims, Customs and Border Protection officials have said.

But US policies that make it harder for those seeking asylum to turn themselves in at ports of entry are pushing more migrants to take deadly risks and cross in more dangerous areas, advocates have said, warning the number of deaths at the border will increase.

Turnbacks and long waits also often push asylum seekers into crossing the border illegally, according to a September report by the Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.

This new image is reminiscent of the iconic 2015 photo of a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey. The photo shocked and moved UN and European leaders and stirred discussion over immigration policies.

Salvadoran officials warn residents

The two deaths promoted Salvadoran Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill to beg citizens to stay in the country and work with the government as it tries to resolve the economic issues that push so many to leave.

"Our country is in mourning, again," she said. "I beg you, to all the families, parents, don't risk it. Life is worth a lot more."

Hill said the government is working with Mexican authorities to repatriate the remains.

El Salvador's newly elected President Nayib Bukele said the government would help the family financially.

Reactions from presidential candidates

As news of the image have begun to spread, presidential candidates have commented on the devastating picture on Twitter.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called the situation "inhumane."

"These families seeking asylum are often fleeing extreme violence," she said in a post. "And what happens when they arrive? Trump says, 'Go back to where you came from.' That is inhumane. Children are dying. This is a stain on our moral conscience."

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said "Trump is responsible for these deaths."

"As his administration refuses to follow our laws -- preventing refugees from presenting themselves for asylum at our ports of entry -- they cause families to cross between ports, ensuring greater suffering & death. At the expense of our humanity, not to the benefit of our safety," he said on Twitter.

CNN's Natalie Gallón reported from Mexico City, and Steve Almasy and Christina Maxouris wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ana Melgar, Andrea Diaz and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

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2019-06-26 06:29:00Z
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Trump says attack by Iran on anything American will be met with 'obliteration' - CNN

"In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration. No more John Kerry & Obama!" the President tweeted.

Earlier Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the White House is "suffering from mental disability" and behaving as "no sane person" in the wake of new sanctions imposed by US this week -- partly in retaliation over the downing of an American drone.

Those comments prompted a response from Trump who said "Iran's very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that they do not understand reality."

"Their leadership spends all of its money on Terror, and little on anything else. The U.S. has not forgotten Iran's use of IED's & EFP's (bombs), which killed 2000 Americans, and wounded many more," he added.

Trump's figures regarding Iranian responsibility for American deaths appeared to be significantly higher than those provided by the State Department and the Pentagon in April, which said that "at least 603 US personnel deaths in Iraq" were the result of attacks by Iran-backed militants between 2003 and 2011.

Rouhani also said that those "in charge of the White House are feeling frustrated" by the state of play in the region, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. He added that the US had wrongly expected to "create chaos" in Iran in two to three months, during his speech to senior health officials.

During an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Rouhani's comments, "a bit immature and childlike."

"But know that the United States will remain steadfast," he added.

Tensions between the US and Iran are now at their highest level in years, coming on the back of last week's downed US drone, but also stretching to 2018 when Trump walked away from the Iranian nuclear deal implemented by his predecessor Barack Obama.

After weeks of building tensions, Trump threatened airstrikes on Iran last week -- calling them off just minutes before they were due to begin -- and on Tuesday his national security adviser, John Bolton, continued the administration's tough rhetoric.

Bolton referred to Iran as a "radical regime" that supports "violent provocations abroad," ahead of a trilateral meeting with his Israeli and Russian counterparts in Jerusalem.

But he also added that Trump had "held the door open to real negotiations."

"All that Iran needs to do is walk through that open door," said Bolton, known for being one of the administration's most hawkish advisers on Iran.

CNN's Ryan Browne, Shirzad Bozorgmehr, Frederik Pleitgen and Sheena McKenzie contributed reporting

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2019-06-25 16:13:00Z
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Trump says attack by Iran on anything American will be met with 'obliteration' - CNN

"In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration. No more John Kerry & Obama!" the President tweeted.

Earlier Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the White House is "suffering from mental disability" and behaving as "no sane person" in the wake of new sanctions imposed by US this week -- partly in retaliation over the downing of an American drone.

Those comments prompted a response from Trump who said "Iran's very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that they do not understand reality."

"Their leadership spends all of its money on Terror, and little on anything else. The U.S. has not forgotten Iran's use of IED's & EFP's (bombs), which killed 2000 Americans, and wounded many more," he added.

Trump's figures regarding Iranian responsibility for American deaths appeared to be significantly higher than those provided by the State Department and the Pentagon in April, which said that "at least 603 US personnel deaths in Iraq" were the result of attacks by Iran-backed militants between 2003 and 2011.

Rouhani also said that those "in charge of the White House are feeling frustrated" by the state of play in the region, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. He added that the US had wrongly expected to "create chaos" in Iran in two to three months, during his speech to senior health officials.

During an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Rouhani's comments, "a bit immature and childlike."

"But know that the United States will remain steadfast," he added.

Tensions between the US and Iran are now at their highest level in years, coming on the back of last week's downed US drone, but also stretching to 2018 when Trump walked away from the Iranian nuclear deal implemented by his predecessor Barack Obama.

After weeks of building tensions, Trump threatened airstrikes on Iran last week -- calling them off just minutes before they were due to begin -- and on Tuesday his national security adviser, John Bolton, continued the administration's tough rhetoric.

Bolton referred to Iran as a "radical regime" that supports "violent provocations abroad," ahead of a trilateral meeting with his Israeli and Russian counterparts in Jerusalem.

But he also added that Trump had "held the door open to real negotiations."

"All that Iran needs to do is walk through that open door," said Bolton, known for being one of the administration's most hawkish advisers on Iran.

CNN's Ryan Browne, Shirzad Bozorgmehr, Frederik Pleitgen and Sheena McKenzie contributed reporting

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2019-06-25 15:45:00Z
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Iran-US crisis: Rouhani derides new sanctions as 'useless' - BBC News

Iran's president has responded with defiance to the latest sanctions imposed by the US, saying they show it is lying about wanting dialogue.

Hassan Rouhani said the measures against Iran's supreme leader unveiled by President Donald Trump on Monday would be "useless" and denounced US plans to target his foreign minister.

The moves showed the White House was "mentally retarded", Mr Rouhani added.

Mr Trump said he was responding to recent "aggressive behaviour" by Iran.

Last week, Iranian forces shot down a US surveillance drone that they said had violated Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. The US insisted the drone was flying over international waters.

The US has also accused Iran of being behind two sets of explosions that have damaged six oil tankers in the region, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes each day. Iran has rejected the allegation.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated steadily since May 2018, when Mr Trump abandoned the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and began reinstating sanctions to force Iran to renegotiate the accord.

Last month, Iran scaled back some its commitments under the deal, including on the amount of low enriched uranium it is allowed to stockpile, after Mr Trump ended exemptions from US secondary sanctions for countries still buying Iranian oil.

Who do the new sanctions target?

Mr Trump said the measures would deny Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office, and those closely affiliated with him, access to key financial resources and support.

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"The supreme leader of Iran is one who ultimately is responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime. He's respected within his country. His office oversees the regime's most brutal instruments, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Some analysts said the sanctions were largely symbolic, although the US treasury department said the measures would lock up billions of dollars in assets.

The treasury said it was also imposing sanctions on eight senior commanders of the IRGC's navy, air force, and ground forces, including the head of an air force unit that the US said had ordered the shooting down of its drone.

• Who is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
• Profile: Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif - who was the country's top negotiator on the nuclear deal - would be targeted later this week, it added.

Despite the current tensions, Mr Trump insisted he was willing to start negotiations on a new nuclear accord that would also see Iran agree to curb its ballistic missile programme and end what he calls its "malign" activities in the Middle East.

"If they don't want to, that's fine too. But we would love to be able to. And, frankly, they might as well do it soon," he said.

What was the Iranian response?

The sanctions announcement was met with ridicule in parts of the Iranian press, while Mr Zarif tweeted that those advising the US president "despise diplomacy" and "thirst for war".

In a televised address to a meeting of healthcare professionals on Tuesday, President Rouhani said the sanctions targeting Ayatollah Khamenei were "outrageous and idiotic".

"They said they want to confiscate the leader's property. The leader owns a Hoseyniyyeh [prayer venue] and a simple house. Our leaders are not like the leaders of other countries who have billions of money on foreign accounts that you could appropriate."

Mr Rouhani added that the decision to target his foreign minister proved Mr Trump did not want to talk.

"You immediately proved you were lying. You are not sincere; you are not looking to negotiate. You could have waited for a little while so that the world could believe that you were sincere."

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned that the sanctions against Mr Zarif would signal the "permanent closure of the path of diplomacy".

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2019-06-25 11:43:49Z
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