Border Crisis
Border Crisis: Arizona Border Patrol Agent Kills an Illegal Immigrant on US Border
On Saturday, a border patrol agent shot and killed an illegal immigrant from Mexico. The incident happened in a remote part of Arizona, around 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, per a Customs and Border Protection report.
Two agents had been called out to a mountainous area on Saturday evening due to reports of possible undocumented immigrants.
After they dismounted from their horses because of the rugged terrain, the agents encountered three migrants, taking them into custody. However, a fourth migrant tried to flee, running downhill into a nearby canyon.
“One of the Border Patrol agents followed this individual and while taking him into custody discharged his firearm fatally wounding the migrant, tentatively identified as a citizen of Mexico,” CBP revealed on Wednesday.
According to the Pima County Medical Examiner, the autopsy on the body found that the migrant died due to multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities tentatively identified him as a Mexican citizen.
On Sunday morning, the state’s Department of Public Safety sent air support to retrieve the illegal migrant’s remains from the rugged terrain.
Agents have also detained two other migrants following the incident. They have all been transported to the Douglas Border Patrol Station.
At the moment, the CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the incident. They will present their findings to the National Use of Force Review Board.
Meanwhile, the Cochise County Sheriff’s office is collaborating with the Mexican Consulate to find out the identity of the migrant and notify his family.
Agents have reported 643,630 migrant encounters at the southern border in the first four months of FY 2022. This is a 126% increase ober the same time period in FY 2021.
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