Authorities were searching southwest Texas for suspects or witnesses after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner injured Sunday while on patrol in the state’s Big Bend area, officials said. Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were “responding to activity” near Interstate 10 in Van Horn, Texas, when both were seriously injured, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release.
“Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt.We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
After the partner called for help, other agents arrived and took both of them to a hospital, but the 36-year old agent did not survive. The authorities are still gathering evidence about the case and officials from the FBI denied reports that the agents were shot. Senator Ted Cruz asserted, without explanation, that Martinez and his partner were “attacked” and also linked the incident to security on the border with Mexico.
“This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation,” Cruz stated.
The agents were injured about 100 miles east of El Paso in an area which is part of Customs and Border Protection’s vast Big Band Sector. Since 2003, 38 Customs and Border Protection agents have lost their lives in the line of duty. This year, the only agent who lost his life, besides Martinez, was Isaac Morales, who was stabbed in a bar parking lot in El Paso. Last year, three agents died, two of which in car accident and one of a heart attack, The Washington Post reports.
Be the first to comment