NEAR CAMPO, Calif. – An investigation was under way Friday morning into the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Campo, near the Mexican border.
The shooting was reported about 9:15 p.m. Thursday on Shockey Truck Trail southeast of the San Diego Sheriff Department’s Campo substation, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
A group of border patrol agents came across a group of men near the north end of the border fence, Border Patrol Public Information Officer Daryl Reed said.
As the agents approached, the group of men split up and started running, Reed said.
The agents followed and began a chase. One agent was separated from the group and gunshots were heard, Reed said.
Four engines, paramedics, and a medical helicopter were dispatched to the area, but the agent, who was found with a gunshot wound to the head, was declared dead at the scene, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler said.
The county medical examiner arrived on scene at 3:30 a.m. to retrieve the body of the slain agent, 10News photojournalist Rett Lawrence reported.
FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth said his agency is investigating the incident, along with the Sheriff’s Department, the Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The name of the agent was withheld pending family notification.
No information on the shooter was immediately released.
One of the suspects was just picked up in our local hospital, about 3 mi. from where I work. The fact that our borders are still so wide open after 9/11 is a national disgrace.
Did it state anywhere that he was an illegal? I would just think that a Mexican citizen would have crossed back over the border, instead of advancing into a country where they could be wanted for murdering a federal officer.
I didn’t mean any criticiscm by my remark. They just haven’t released much info on this, and it sounded like there may have been more involved than just an illegal border crossing.
I read on another site that I frequent that there has been intel indicating that the ambush was planned with the intent of killing a Border Patrol Agent.
“I read on another site that I frequent that there has been intel indicating that the ambush was planned with the intent of killing a Border Patrol Agent.”
Pure speculation, and highly unlikely. It would be bad for business and alien smugglers and dope smugglers on the line know that; heat and undue attention are things they like to avoid. I would speculate that the persons apprehended in Mexico were “given up” to reduce attention on smuggling routes and organizations operating there.
So far there have been 5 arrests in Mexico and at least three in the U.S. related to this event. So far it appears that Agent Rosas’ firearm has been recovered in Mexico and his cell phone in San Jose, CA after it had been used to make a call at O’Connor Hospital. No word on whether or not his radio has been recovered.
Water is too valuable, especially here in Texas. I think"dirtboarding" may be a better technique. It solves the problem of what to do with the suspect when you are done with the interrogation.
