Two border patrol agents were shot early Tuesday morning near the U.S.-Mexico check point at the Brian Terry station in Nacio, Arizona. One patrol officer was killed on the spot and the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
According to USA Today, the officers were a part of a three agent border patrol team who were responding to a motion detection sensor. The report suggests that there were three to four shooters, who are possibly drug traffickers. The three agents arrived to the spot on horse-back when they were fired at. The third agent was unharmed, while the injured one was airlifted by a helicopter and transported to a local hospital.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a statement confirming the news, "Border Patrol agents on patrol in Naco, Ariz., were involved in a shooting Tuesday at 1:50 a.m...One agent died from his injuries and another, who sustained non-life threatening wounds, was airlifted to a hospital," as reported by ABC News. However, the identities of the three agents have not been released.
Cochise County Sheriff's Department Commander Marc Denney told USA Today, "It was basically an ambush...They had a little bit of a jump on us...It is very rocky terrain. We're hoping that they hunkered down somewhere close by so that we have an opportunity to find them.'' Denney added that the suspects could have crossed the border and escaped to Mexico.
The police department has been assisting the FBI in the on-going investigation. Authorities are scheduled to hold a news conference on the matter later on Tuesday.
The Brian Terry station gets its name from a border patrol officer who was shot in December 2010 in gun-trafficking chase, better known as the Fast and Furious Scandal..
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