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 / Modified nov 30, 2017 5:13 p.m.

CBP: Agent Fatally Shot Man In Southern Arizona

The shooting allegedly happened after one of the agents was attacked. by Matthew Casey, Fronteras Desk

CBP shooting A map depicting the location of an the shooting of a suspected undocumented immigrant by a Customs and Border Patrol agent Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017.
Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent shot and killed a suspected undocumented immigrant Wednesday in the mountains southwest of Tucson after the man attacked the agent’s partner and got control of their weapon, federal authorities say.

Two CBP agents encountered a group of suspected undocumented immigrants in a remote area about 21 miles north of the border, according to a statement released Thursday by Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch.

A man in the group attacked a CBP agent when they tried to arrest him, and the attacker got control of the agent’s weapon, Karisch said. The other border patrol agent then shot the man, who later died. One of the agents suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a Tucson hospital.

CBP arrested three other Guatemalan nationals who were traveling with the group, Karisch said. Police from the Tohono O’odham Nation are leading the investigation into the shooting, assisted by the FBI and CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility.

The incident was the second time in less than a week CBP agents were assaulted in Arizona. Authorities said an agent was attacked by a 17-year-old Mexican national on Thanksgiving near Vamori, Arizona.

Fronteras Desk
This story is from the Fronteras Desk, a collaboration of Southwestern public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Fronteras Desk.
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