Christmastime for Border Patrol Agents Proved Perilous, One Shot, More Fired Upon

Working over Christmas holiday weekend proved perilous for Border Patrol agents as one agent was shot and others were fired upon.

Agents working in southern Arizona on Christmas Eve came under fire as they attempted to take an alleged human smuggler into custody. Agents assigned to the Nogales Station’s I-19 Immigration Checkpoint observed a Ford Escape approaching the checkpoint.  When the agents asked the driver to move his vehicle to a secondary inspection station, the suspected smuggler fled the checkpoint and led agents on a high-speed chase, according to information provided to Breitbart Texas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

During the chase, the suspected human smuggler allegedly fired multiple shots at agents in pursuit. After firing the shots, the driver lost control and rolled his vehicle — ejecting one of his passengers. Agents arrested all three occupants and arranged transportation by ambulance to a local hospital.

All three occupants were injured in the crash. After treatment at the hospital, all three were turned over to Border Patrol agents.

The driver, a 21-year-old  U.S. citizen, will likely face charges of human smuggling, assault on a federal agent, evading arrest, and other charges.

The two Mexican national illegal immigrants are being processed for immigration violations, officials stated.

The day after Christmas, a Border Patrol agent working on the Rio Grande River in South Texas was shot by a small caliber handgun fired from the Mexican side of the river, Breitbart Texas reported. An update provided to Breitbart Texas revealed the shot struck the agent in the head, causing a grazing wound. The wound is located on the back of the agent’s head.

Doctors examined the agent’s head wound and released him after treating the injury.

The shooting incident is being investigated.

During the past fiscal year, 93 Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector were assaulted.

Nationally, 786 Border Patrol agents were assaulted during FY 2017, Breitbart Texas reported. This represents a 73 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

During the first two months of Fiscal Year 2018, which began on October 1, 96 Border Patrol agents were assaulted.