Illegal Immigrants' Death Toll Sets Record

A record 415 people have died trying to cross the border illegally from Mexico in the last 11 months, surpassing the previous high of 383 recorded in fiscal year 2000, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Record numbers of deaths are being recorded in Border Patrol sectors that cover Arizona and south Texas, spokesman Mario Villarreal said.

Some of the increase reflects a change in the way Border Patrol officials are counting the dead. In June, they began including remains found by other law enforcement agencies, which they previously did not count.