EDINBURG, Texas — Texas border authorities are issuing a warning about the extreme temperatures that have been linked to the death of five illegal immigrants in nine days.

The warning was issued by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office after the alarming number of calls in relation to illegal immigrants dying after crossing the border, information provided to Breitbart Texas by the sheriff’s office revealed.

Since August 1, sheriff’s investigators from Hidalgo County have responded to five separate calls dealing with individuals dying in remote areas used for human smuggling. This week, temperatures in that border region have averages over the 100 degree mark. According to various heat advisories issued by the National Weather Service, the heat index has reached 116 degrees.

“We believe persons embarking on this type of journey are exposing themselves to serious injury or death,” a prepared statement from HCSO revealed. “The intense summer heat and scare water create a deadly reality for these individuals who are entering the United States illegally.”

Hidalgo County is directly north of the smuggling territories used by the Gulf Cartel. As Breitbart Texas previously reported, before the summer of 2014, the criminal organization had been pushing large numbers of illegal immigrants form Central America through that county, rapidly overwhelming Homeland Security’s detention capabilities. First time illegal immigrants from countries “Other Than Mexico” were routinely released with a court notice.

Since then, Texas authorities have increased their presence in the Rio Grande Valley in an effort to curb the smuggling efforts of the groups tied to the Gulf Cartel. Texas’ efforts came after the apparent lack of response from the decision makers in Washington in regards to border security.

While the number of illegal immigrants entering the country are once again on the rise, the increase in law enforcement presence by state and local authorities has made the journey into the U.S. more difficult for illegal immigrants, who have been previously detained, or for individuals from Mexico.

“It has pushed undocumented immigrants to seek more remote and dangerous routes,” the statement from the sheriff’s office added. “Even the healthiest person is going to have a hard time surviving in these temperatures in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.