Posted on 06/29/2007 12:20:06 AM PDT by Baladas
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - An illegal immigrant drowned in a border canal Wednesday after a U.S. Border Patrol agent trying to rescue him was hit in the head with a rock thrown by a suspected human smuggler, Border Patrol officials said.
The agent, who was not identified, fired at least one shot at the suspected smuggler and another would-be immigrant, who fled back into Mexico, Border Patrol spokesman Patrick Berry said.
Berry said the incident started about 12:30 p.m. after agents watching video feed from a border camera saw a group of at least three men coming through a hole in a border fence east of downtown El Paso. As agents arrived at the scene, one of the immigrants fell into the mocha-colored canal water and was quickly dragged under by the swift current, Berry said.
While one agent tried to help the drowning man, the suspected smuggler started hurling rocks, hitting the agent in the head at least once, opening a 3-inch gash in the agent's head. The agent then fired back and the suspected smuggler and the other man fled south into Mexico, Berry said.
It was unclear if either of the fleeing men were shot.
Berry, who was in the Border Patrol's video control room as the incident unfolded, said he saw the suspected smuggler throw "one, maybe two rocks" at the agent. He did not see how many times the agent fired.
The drowned man's body was found in the canal about 4 1/2 miles east of where the agents saw him go underneath the water, Berry said.
"If it wasn't for the efforts of the smuggler, this person most likely would have been saved," Berry said.
Wednesday's shooting was the third involving a Border Patrol agent in the El Paso area this year.
In February, an agent patrolling near the spot of Wednesday's shooting fired at least one shot at a group of would-be migrants after having rocks thrown at his head. That agent, who also was not identified, was not injured.
In April, two agents were conducting surveillance when they followed a vehicle into a parking lot and watched a pair of men exchange a roll of money. As one of the agents approached the men, one jumped inside a van and drove toward the agent, who fired at least one shot. The wounded suspect later drove himself to a local hospital and was arrested.
Wednesday's shooting is under investigation.
This is in Sutton's jurisdiction, isn't it?
Do we need to send flowers?
How in the hell can they call the other border jumper an ‘immigrant’?
When will the liberal groups start spreading the word that coming to the US is dangerous to your health, and those folks should stay home?
Oh oh. The Justice department is probably offering free citizenship to an illegal to get him to come into the U.S. and testify against the border agent.
The title implies that the agent was too busy shooting to help, but the story explains that the agent was trying to help first.
Seems to me our agents need a bit more range time.........
This is really tragic, and it’s a shame that the smuggler survived.
Still, some people seem to think this is an acceptable way to recruit janitors.
The fence project needs to get to that hole.
Some do some don't, a few months back a similar situation occured near here, only there were two BP agents, the one fishing the illegal out of the drink was able to save the swimmer, the other agent shot, and killed the rock thrower.
how many millions will the USA have to give up this time?
Stinking headline writer.
Is (s)he just an illiterate hack that doesn’t know how to write an honest headline, or a bleeding heart open borders panderer intentionally trying to make the Border Patrol look bad?
Or both?
How dishonest can they get?
“Man Drowns As Agent Shoot At Smuggler” should read “Man Drowns as Coyote Throws Rocks at Rescuer”
Wow! That headline isn’t misleading at all. /s
A "would-be immigrant" no less!
I dropped the executive editor of that paper a little email.
Wonder if he cares... Or maybe he even wrote the headline... Tyler Texas isn’t exactly Metropolis and the Tyler Morning Telegraph isn’t exactly the Daily Planet.
And they’re dusting off the Agents new cell..er, home.
Corrected title: Man Drowns As Agent Defends Himself from Smuggler Attack
“and another would-be immigrant”
And another sneaking invader..
Expect Alberto to send his thuigs down there to lock this border this guard up with the rest of the ones sitting in a Federal prison for doing their job.
Americans must realize that yesterday’s vote in the Senate was a win in a battle, not a war, and that Bush, Gonzales and company will continue to conspire and plot to bring more of these invaders into America unless something is done to thwart them.
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