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Posted by: kwflatbed

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL
Associated Press Writer

EL PASO, Texas --
A Border Patrol agent shot and wounded a migrant who was crossing illegally into the U.S. through a drainage tunnel early Tuesday, the U.S. Border Patrol said.
The unnamed agent responded with his partner after a motion sensor tripped and a group of migrants was spotted going into the tunnel, Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier said.
The two agents encountered a group of people in the tunnel around 12:30 a.m. One of the agents fired a shot after a migrant made a motion toward him, Mosier said
The bullet struck the migrant in the left arm, Mosier said. The migrant had surgery at a hospital to remove the bullet and was expected to be sent back to Mexico after being released, Mosier said.
The Mexican Consulate was notified about the shooting. El Paso Police, the Border Patrol Sector Evidence Team, and the FBI will conduct separate investigations into the cause of the shooting, Mosier said.
The uninjured migrants will be returned to Mexico. The agent involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty pending the investigation, a standard procedure, Mosier said.
Tuesday's shooting was the second of an illegal immigrant in less than a week by the El Paso Border Patrol. On June 27, an unidentified agent fired at least one shot at a man believed to be a human smuggler after the agent was hit in the head with a rock.
Officials said the agent was trying to help another illegal immigrant who had fallen into a border canal when the suspected smuggler attacked him. The drowning victim's body was later recovered a few miles from where the Border Patrol agent first tried to pull him from the water.
The Border Network for Human Rights, an El Paso advocacy group, condemned the shootings Tuesday.
The group said in a statement that the lack of congressional action on immigration did not "justify by any means, the surge of violent and lethal enforcement against immigrants and much less, to jeopardize the safety of border residents."
Mosier declined to specifically discuss the group's statement.
He said the shootings are connected to a 30 percent increase in assaults against agents so far this fiscal year. Rock-related assaults, like the one reported last week, have jumped about 20 percent, Mosier said.
"We are seeing more aggressive behavior," Mosier said. "The frustration level of some of these smuggling organizations is really starting to manifest."

Wire Services

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Posted by: pahapoika

didn't the last Border Agent that shot on of these "poor unfortunates " get sent to jail ?

that job has to be a nightmare. getting pelted with stones and the do-gooders tell you not to use violence !

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Posted by: RPD931

Nice to see so many fighting for the immigrants rights. Who's fighting for all of the Agents' safety? Pathetic.

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Posted by: jj1979

Kinda new to Law Enforcement. Why are there so many agencies investigating this? Does the Border Patrol have their own internal investigation unit? My feeling on immigration especially post 9/11 is that our borders need to be secure and if lethal force needs to be used to achieve that security so be it.

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Posted by: Wolfman

It would be a shame if these shootings had a chilling effect on the influx of illegal criminal invaders.

Anyone know what caliber the Border Patrol uses? I may have a couple boxes here to donate.

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Posted by: dcs2244

I'm sure that Jorge Arbusto will have justice prosecute the Border cop to the fullest extent of the law.

Viva El Presidente!

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Posted by: KozmoKramer

Quote:

A Border Patrol agent shot and wounded a migrant who was crossing illegally into the U.S. through a drainage tunnel early Tuesday...

Well, its one way to curtail the numbers I guess.
19,999,999 more to go...

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Posted by: BB-59

The way things are going that poor agent will wish he shot himself instead of the suspect who attacked him.

How did we loose common sense? And throw our officers to the wolves.

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Posted by: dcs2244

Prosecution of the cop begins in 5...4....3....

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Posted by: 94c

Quote:

Originally Posted by RPD931 Nice to see so many fighting for the immigrants rights. Who's fighting for all of the Agents' safety? Pathetic.

This has got to be the worst law enforcement job out there.

We all know how local politics interfere with the job, but imagine trying to do police work in the middle of a political firestorm.

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Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

"migrant"...are you fucking kidding me?WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DONT THEY UNDERSTAND?

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Posted by: SargeLorenzo

I believe Border Patrol has lost more officers than any other federal agency out there. You would think that would put it in someones head to allow these guys to do their job properly, without repercussions

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Posted by: Hutch

Why not just put blackwater on the borders? That'd stop them from coming over the borders and the politicians couldn't do jack about it.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hutch Why not just put blackwater on the borders? That'd stop them from coming over the borders and the politicians couldn't do jack about it.

Blackwater would love to have that contract.

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