Human Smuggler Gets 13 Years in Prison for Shooting at Border Patrol Agent in Arizona

A federal judge in Arizona sentenced a human smuggler to 13 years in prison for shooting at a Border Patrol agent after attempting to flee from an immigration checkpoint. The man shot at the agent with an AR-15-style rifle as he attempted to open the smuggler’s car door.

U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza sentenced Alejandro Nathaniel Rodriguez Stalter, a 31-year-old man from Casa Grande, Arizona, to 13 years in federal prison for shooting at a Border Patrol agent. Stalter previously pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting a federal officer and another charge of Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

Federal court records obtained by Breitbart Texas state that Border Patrol agents assigned to the FR-15 Highway immigration checkpoint observed a Dodge Charger approaching for inspection. As an agent began an immigration interview on two passengers later determined to be migrants illegally present in the United States, Stalter drove away from the checkpoint at a high rate of speed.

Border Patrol agents pursued the human smuggling vehicle for approximately 20 miles until the driver pulled over. As a Border Patrol agent approached the driver’s side door in an attempt to extricate Stalter, shots rang out from inside the vehicle, the criminal complaint states.

The agent took cover and returned fire, striking Stalter multiple times. An ambulance transported Stalter to a hospital.

Agents identified the two passengers in the vehicle as illegal immigrants, the complaint states. The agents transported them to the Casa Grande Station for processing.

One of the migrants told agents he paid $11,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. Smugglers in Mexico provided them with fake identification cards to be used at immigration checkpoints.

The migrant told agents that during the pursuit he noticed the AR-15 style rifle laying across Stalter’s lap. As an agent approached the vehicle, both migrants said they saw Salter fire the weapon at the agent.

Stalter pleaded guilty in April to one count of Assault of a Federal Officer (Border Patrol agent) and one county of Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. The firearms enhancement (18 USC 924 (c)) carries a mandatory 10-year sentence which runs consecutively to the assault conviction, court documents report.

The judge ordered the confinement of 36 months on the assault charge and 120 months on the firearms enhancement. The terms run consecutively. Following Stalter’s release from prison, he will face an additional 26 months on supervised release, the judge’s order states.

Two other charges in the indictment, including Stalter being a felon in possession of a firearm, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Breitbart Texas reports extensively on the dangers faced by Border Patrol agents as they confront armed human smugglers.