A Border Patrol agent working the Texas-Mexico border was forced to discharge his weapon after being assaulted by at least one illegal alien.
Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo Sector responded to a call of suspected illegal activity. When they arrived, they attempted to apprehend a group of illegal immigrants who had just crossed the border from Mexico.
One of the men reportedly assaulted the Border Patrol agent, according to a report by KGNS in Laredo.
“The Border Patrol agent discharged his service-issued weapon,” Border Patrol officials stated in a written press release. “No injuries have been reported at this time and the incident is under investigation.”
No statement was made about whether the illegal immigrant was armed.
Breitbart Texas spoke with Border Patrol agent Hector Garza in his capacity as president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2455.
“While not speaking about this case specifically, whenever an agent gets into a fight with a subject, a weapon is present–the agent’s weapon,” Garza explained. “Often time during a struggle the person who is trying to keep from getting arrested will reach for the agent’s weapon.”
He stated there have been cases in the past where the agent’s weapon or other less lethal tools have been taken from the agent and used against them. “Agents have been injured or killed by so-called unarmed suspects,” he stated.
“Whether the suspect is shot when an agent discharges his weapon or not, it is a very traumatic event for the agent,” Garza continued. “At the point the agent pulls the trigger, he has made the decision to use deadly force and potentially take another person’s life. That is a very difficult thing to deal with.”
Garza stressed the training agents go through on whether to use deadly force or not. “We are very well trained and our agents are disciplined about when to use deadly force. It is never taken lightly,” he said.
“In this particular case, our union will stand beside and support the agent who was assaulted,” Garza concluded. “He reached out to us and we will support him in every way we can.”
This incident, which occurred Wednesday evening about 8 p.m. Central Time will be investigate by Border Patrol officials.
No information was release as to whether the illegal immigrant will be charged in the assault of the agent.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.