A U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man who was throwing rocks at officers from the Mexican side of the border late Saturday, officials said. The incident began after agents spotted a suspicious vehicle near the Andrade Port of Entry west of the California-Arizona border, just north of the international border and alongside the Colorado River.
The driver fled and then tried to swim across a pond along the river in an effort to return to Mexico, the agency said. But the man struggled to stay afloat, and agents began to try to rescue him. Several people on the other side of the border then began throwing rocks at the agents, and one officer was struck in the head. The officer then shot at a man who was getting ready to throw another rock, the Border Patrol said. Mexican authorities took the man to a hospital, where he died.
Attacks on Border Patrol agents have become more common in recent years. This year, agents say they're seeing smugglers become even more violent. |