A Border Patrol agent looking for illegal activity near the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday was stabbed when he or she tried to arrest a group of suspected illegal aliens, Customs and Border Protection officials said.
The agent “was attacked and stabbed multiple times while on patrol near Nogales,” a town of some 20,000 in southeast Arizona, said Roy Villareal, chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector.
Officials said the agent, who was on foot, tried arresting a group of suspected illegal immigrants when one person in the group stabbed the agent multiple times with a knife.
The agent then shot his assailant, who died from the gunshot wounds.
The agent was taken via flight to an area hospital for treatment.
“The entire #USBPFamily sends their thoughts and prayers to our Border Patrol Agent. Wishing our Agent a prompt recovery,” Customs and Border Protection Chief Rodney Scott said in a statement.
The agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, and the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office were notified along with the FBI.
The bureau is leading an investigation into the shooting.
No other information was made available.
