Guatemalan Allegedly Assaults Border Patrol Agent in West Texas

A Guatemalan allegedly punched a Border Patrol agent in the face during an attempted illegal entry into the United States. The man also reportedly attempted to steal the agent’s service weapon.

A Border Patrol agent working in a remote area near Van Horn, Texas, on November 27 encountered a group of five migrants suspected of being illegally present in the United States. As the agent attempted to arrest the group, one punched him in the face, according to Big Bend Sector officials.

As the man continued to fight the agent, he unsuccessfully attempted to take the agent’s firearm, officials stated.
The agent finally subdued the man and placed him in custody without further incident.

Officials identified the alleged attacker as Andre Mainor-Velasquez, a Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States.

A medical team evaluated the assaulted agent and Mainor-Velasquez and determined they only suffered minor injuries.

Mainor-Velasquez is being charged, as are the other four migrants, with multiple immigration violations, officials stated. Mainor-Velasquez will also face a federal charge for the alleged assault on the agent.

“Border Patrol Agents are highly trained federal law enforcement officers,” said Big Bend Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Chris T. Clem. “Encounters like this highlight the potential dangers faced in the course of their duties, even with the COVID-19 Pandemic, smugglers keep bringing people and contraband into the United States illegally, adding to the risk and I commend the agent for his actions in the face of adversity.”

During Fiscal Year 2020, which ended on September 30, migrants assaulted 906 Border Patrol agents, according to a report provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. This is up from 667 in FY19 and 590 in FY18.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s Sunday-morning talk show, What’s Your Point? Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Parler @BobPrice, and Facebook.