A man who opened fire on a U.S. Border Patrol agent in a marked patrol vehicle near the U.S.-Mexico border had been deported and was living in Mexico in the months prior to the shooting, officials said Monday.
The agent’s vehicle was parked within 50 feet of the border near the San Ysidro Port of Entry after 2:15 a.m. Sunday when several bullets struck the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The agent, who was on duty at the time, was not hurt and immediately drove to a safer location.
An initial inspection found several bullet holes on the driver’s side of the vehicle consistent with being shot at multiple times, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The shooting appeared to have originated from the Mexico side of the border and authorities there were immediately contacted, the agency said.
Mexican authorities initially took two suspects into custody and one of them was found with a handgun, the CBP said. The other person was released.
The suspect had been living in the U.S. before being deported to Mexico, according to officials with the police department in Tijuana.
The man had been living in Tijuana for approximately six months, police said.
He has a prior criminal record that includes human smuggling, officials said.
The FBI is working with Mexican authorities and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as they investigate the incident.
The Border Patrol agent involved has 22 years of service with the agency.
The location of the shooting was more than one mile west of the San Ysidro border crossing and immediately north of the U.S.-Mexico international boundary, the agency said.
Photo Credit: CBP
Source: NBC San Diego
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