Border Patrol Agent Shoots Suspect During Struggle

A U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona shot a suspect during a struggle that occurred after several suspects fled from a vehicle loaded with drugs. The suspect was wounded and transported to hospital via a life flight medivac helicopter.

The shooting occurred on Monday morning at about 10:45 a.m. MST. The incident happened in a remote area located to the east of Apache, Arizona.

The agents tracked suspects fleeing from a vehicle loaded with narcotics. One of the agents got in a struggle with one of the suspects, according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection Public Affairs Specialist Rob Daniels obtained by Breitbart Texas. During the struggle, the agent discharged his service issued sidearm. The gunshot struck and injured the suspect.

Daniels told Breitbart Texas that the immigration status or nationality of the injured suspect remains unknown. He said communications with the agents in the remote area make it difficult to quickly gather information on the shooting.

Life flight helicopter flew the injured suspect to an unknown hospital in the area.

Daniels said the agency expects to release more information about this incident on Tuesday morning.

At this time, information about the number of suspects that fled from the vehicle and the quantity and type of narcotics found inside the vehicle has not been release by the Border Patrol.

The incident illustrates, once again, the dangers faced by Border Patrol agents as they work to protect the U.S. border from both human smuggling and drug smuggling.

In November, Breitbart Texas reported an incident near San Diego, California, where a suspect smashed a border patrol agent in the face with a rock. That agent also had to discharge his weapon during the struggle. In that case, the suspect was not shot and retreated back across the border into Mexico.

Another agent was injured in Texas on Thanksgiving when he got into a fight with an illegal alien he was attempting to take into custody. In that incident, the suspect attempted to take the agent’s sidearm and then attempted to strangle the agent with his radio microphone chord.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.