Border Patrol Agent Fatally Shoots Mexican Man During Arrest Operation In Texas

After a week of investigations into an incident in Starr County, Texas, on Dec. 11, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a detailed report outlining how a Border Patrol agent fatally shot a Mexican national.

As reported by local news outlets in the Rio Grande Valley, one person died on Dec. 11 after being shot three times by an agent near the riverbank in Rio Grande City following a scuffle, Starr County Judge Eloy Vera told Border Report at the time.

The CBP report, released Dec. 17, now provides additional details about the incident.

According to the report, Border Patrol agents were conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations a few miles from the Rio Grande City Port of Entry. Around 4 p.m., agents observed a group of individuals, allegedly wearing camouflage, walking north. Minutes later, agents approached the group and identified themselves.

The report says the group attempted to flee back toward Mexico, prompting a Border Patrol agent to try to arrest a 31-year-old Mexican national.

Four minutes into the operation, the agent radioed that he was in an altercation and requested backup. The report states the agent struggled with the man for about two minutes before discharging his firearm, striking him three times.

Backup agents arrived at 4:25 p.m., requested emergency medical assistance, and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The man was transported to Starr County Hospital in Rio Grande City, where he was pronounced dead at 5:08 p.m.

Border Report noted that a forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy at the request of Starr County officials, with findings to be reviewed by CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility. Texas Rangers continue to investigate the shooting.

Fatal encounters by Border Patrol exceed 300 in 15 years

The Southern Border Communities Coalition, an advocacy group representing organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border that promotes accountability in border enforcement and supports humane immigration policies, says a total of 356 people had died in encounters with CBP agents as of Nov. 20.

The group notes that the official tally likely undercounts the true number, pointing to many additional reports of abuse that caused serious, sometimes life-altering injuries.

According to the coalition's analysis, 70 of the deaths were the direct result of on-duty agents using force, including fatal shootings, asphyxiation, Taser shocks, beatings, or exposure to chemical agents. Another 125 deaths occurred in vehicle collisions involving Border Patrol, with the majority (109) happening during high-speed chases initiated by agents.

Medical issues also played a role in many fatalities. SBCC reports that 106 deaths were linked to inadequate medical attention or emergencies, either while individuals were in CBP custody or immediately following encounters with agents.

Fifteen deaths were attributed to homicides by off-duty officers, and in many of those cases, the agents faced charges, convictions, and prison sentences. An additional 40 deaths fell into other or unknown categories, including 22 drownings and four alleged suicides.

Although there have been hundreds of fatal encounters with CBP agents, SBCC noted that no on-duty agent in the nearly 100-year history of the agency has been successfully convicted of a killing while on duty.