The Border Patrol agent shot on Tuesday was attacked by “multiple assailants,” Tucson Sector officials stated. An update released Wednesday by the sector chief confirms much of the original reporting from Tuesday by Breitbart Texas.
Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch told reporters in a Wednesday update that a Border Patrol agent was shot in the early morning hours of Tuesday. The agent was on foot, conducting an investigation into sensor activity in the area of Ruby Road and Chimney Canyon. The area is located south of Arivaca, Arizona.
The chief said the injured agent is in good spirits and stable condition.
Chief Karisch said they told the agents to “recognize that you’re in an extremely dangerous job out there, but you should always keep your guard up when you are patrolling those borders or performing law enforcement duties.”
“We know the inherent dangers of this profession, but we continue to protect our country and our communities,” he continued.
The chief alluded to reports that the agent was working alone at the time of the shooting. He said they attempt to pair agents up in the more dangerous areas, but that does not always happen. Media reports indicated that the agent was alone at the time of the shooting.
Tuesday morning, Breitbart Texas broke the news of the shooting:
Sources working under the umbrella of U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Breitbart Texas that the shooting occurred between 3:30 and 4:30 Tuesday morning in the Chimney Canyon area located southeast of Aravaca.
One of the sources said the Border Patrol agent was shot in the chest and back as well as in the hand and knee, but heavy plate body armor successfully stopped the shots to the chest and back. Breitbart Texas was unable to confirm this account with officials.
Another source told Breitbart Texas that the injured Border Patrol agent is a paramedic. That source claimed the injured agent applied his own tourniquet and started his own IV. The source also claimed the injured agent was transported by an emergency medical helicopter to a hospital. Breitbart Texas was unable to confirm these claims with officials.
Another source told Breitbart Texas that the agent was ambushed on a trail and that a group of four or five illegal immigrants were later apprehended in the area. This source did not know if the illegal immigrants are connected to the shooting. Breitbart Texas was unable to obtain official confirmation of these details as well.
Tucson Sector officials responded an hour later with the following statement:
A United States Border Patrol agent was involved in a shooting incident on Tuesday June 12, 2018, at approximately 4:30 a.m. (MST), south of Arivaca, Arizona.
The Border Patrol Agent was shot and subsequently transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. Several subjects in the area were taken into custody.
This is an active shooting investigation and the situation is evolving, further information will be provided as it becomes available. The FBI and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility are jointly involved. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Wednesday morning’s statement from Chief Karisch confirms many of the facts initially obtained by Breitbart Texas from unofficial sources. Those facts include that the agent, a 21-year veteran Border Patrol paramedic-trained agent, administered his own emergency medical care and that he was transported from the scene by an air ambulance to a local hospital. His statement also confirms the Breitbart Texas source’s account that agents apprehended a group of illegal immigrants in the area. The chief explained that it is still not known if these subjects are connected to the shooting. He said they are being detained on immigration violations at this time.
Chief Karshich also confirmed that hostile gunfire struck the agent multiple times.
Wednesday’s statement from Tucson Sector officials also provides a few new facts about the shooting. Sector officials stated that the wounded agent returned fire after being shot several times “in close proximity.” The statement did not indicate if any of the suspects were shot by the wounded agent.
Tucson Sector officials also stated that the group of migrants was located by a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations helicopter. The officials also stated that the agent was attacked by an “unknown number of assailants.”
Officials said they could not respond to Breitbart Texas’ questions about the weapon or weapons used in the shooting as the FBI has taken over the investigation. The shooting is also being investigated by the DHS Office of Inspector General, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office.
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, GAB, and Facebook.
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