Suspect Arrested in Officer Involved Border Shooting

EL PASO, TX – Over the weekend, El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents, in coordination with the Tucson Sector Border Patrol, successfully made the arrest of the suspect involved in an alleged human smuggling incident and agent involved shooting which occurred late Friday.

On October 3, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Tucson Sector Investigative Branch assisted in the arrest of a male suspect involved in an alleged human smuggling incident and vehicular assault against a Lordsburg Border Patrol agent from the El Paso Sector that took place late Friday evening. The male suspect, a 28-year-old, U.S. citizen residing in the Phoenix area, was arrested at his residence without incident. The suspect is in custody pending charges for human smuggling and will be presented before the District Court of Arizona, pending extradition to the District of New Mexico.

On October 2, at approximately 9:50 p.m., a U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned to the Lordsburg Station encountered a white Nissan Pathfinder involved in a suspected human smuggling scheme. The agent attempted a vehicle stop along Highway 80 near mile marker 29. The driver temporarily pulled over, and four illegal aliens jumped out of the vehicle and were later apprehended by responding agents. The driver then accelerated once again as the vehicle headed towards the agent. The agent reportedly discharged his service-issued weapon at the driver to stop the threat. The driver absconded in the vehicle. 

U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Paso Sector and Tucson Sector, along with other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, worked together diligently to bring this event to a successful law enforcement resolution. There were no reported injuries to our Border Patrol agent or other parties.