From stones to knives and firearms, the objects used to attack the agents
Assaults against El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents have increased over the past two fiscal years (FY) on the border with Chihuahua, from 48 cases in fiscal year 2022 to 93 in 2023 and 76 so far in 2024.
In FY 2024 – which began on October 1, 2023 – El Paso Sector agents have been attacked 40 times with a rock or other projectile thrown at them along the 432 kilometers that comprise the border of New Mexico and part of Texas with Chihuahua.
In 23 more cases they were physically attacked by migrants or human traffickers, in four cases their vehicles were attacked, in three cases they were attacked with a firearm, an agent was attacked with a knife or a sharp weapon and in five more cases they received other types of aggression.
The most recent attack occurred last Thursday, September 19, at approximately 12:50 p.m. in the Sunland Park, New Mexico area, when an agent was bitten by a migrant.
“A U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned to the Santa Teresa station responded to a group of undocumented aliens who had crossed the border illegally in the area of Sunland Park, New Mexico, near border marker number 2. While detaining the undocumented aliens, the agent was physically assaulted and bitten by one of the undocumented aliens,” the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) reported yesterday to El Diario.
He said the officer received non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local medical facility for evaluation.
The alien responsible was arrested for assault and was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
During FY 2024, there have also been seven additional attacks against CBP agents assigned to the El Paso Field Operations Office – five of which were physical attacks and two of other types of attacks – while in FY 2023 there were 10 attacks – all physical – and 11 in FY 2022 – eight physical attacks, two against their units and one more in which a rock or other type of projectile was thrown at them.
Under U.S. law, individuals found responsible can be charged federally with assault on a federal officer under Section 111 of Title 18 (18 USC 111).
According to official CBP statistics, during the first 11 months of FY 2024 – from October 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024 – the El Paso Sector accumulated 243,618 encounters of irregular migrants at the border, 37.4 percent less than the 389,323 apprehensions made by Border Patrol in the same period of FY 2023 – from October 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023.
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