in sunland park, new mexico, 15 minutes from el paso, fire chief danny medrano has been responding whenrants hurt themselves. this leads to the broken ankles? >> broken ankles, cracked skulls, that kind of stuff. >> reporter: sometimes the accidents are deadly. >> we're seeing a lot of search and rescues, a lot of body recoveries. >> reporter: deaths? >> yeah, deaths. >> reporter: how difficult is that for your department? >> it is difficult. if we make the call while that person is still alive and we're trying to resuscitate, we look at it as a failure on our part. >> reporter: for many who make the journey, the risk is worth it. a large part of the influx has been displaced venezuelans. since 2015, more than 7 million venezuelans have left after the country spiraled into an economic and subsequent political crisis. some head north through the notorious darien gap. we met this group praying before beginning the trek through the brutal stretch of jungle. the terrain usually wet, muddy, swallowing what little belongings migrants still own. a pair of jeans, a shoe, a small child's sock. >