U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) – El Paso Branch recently assisted in the arrest of an undocumented migrant who allegedly assaulted a Border Patrol agent in New Mexico.
The incident began as area Border Patrol officers started following a group of individuals near Mt. Cristo Rey suspected of being in the country illegally. The officers requested AMO air assistance, which then began tracking the group with a helicopter and a forward looking infrared camera (FLIR).
When one member of the group was discovered hiding in desert brush, the individual began running toward one of the officers. The officer then attempted to take the individual into custody when the man began violently resisting arrest. After a brief struggle, the two men fell over a six-foot ledge, leading to a head injury for the officer. The subject continued to run from the remaining agents.
After a brief chase, the officers were able to subdue the individual with the use of an electronic control device. The individual was then taken into custody without further incident. The remaining members of the suspected illegal migrant group were also apprehended by the officers.
The injured officer was taken to a local hospital and was subsequently released after treatment.
The subject will be prosecuted for assault of a federal officer.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of the nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry.