Houston: The body of a seven-year-old girl, believed to be Indian, has been found near a remote and deserted US-Mexico border area with authorities in Arizona saying she was a victim of human smuggling. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said on Thursday the girl was part of a group trying to get into the US after human smugglers dropped them off near the Mexico border.

Temperatures in the rugged wilderness where agents found her remains Wednesday hovered around 108 degrees. The girl was found dead 27 kilometres west of Lukeville in Arizona state by the US border patrol agents. "Our sympathies are with this little girl and her family. This is a senseless death driven by cartels who are profiting from putting lives at risk," said Roy Villareal, Tucson Chief Patrol Agent. The girl was travelling with four other persons and dropped near the border by human smugglers who ordered the group to cross in the dangerous and austere location.