Border Patrol agents arresting a group of illegal immigrants in southern California earlier this week say they came under gunfire from the Mexican side of the border.
Agents were about 250 yards north of the border near Otay Mountain and were taking the group of migrants to vehicles when they heard the incoming gunfire. The agents and migrants all took cover and a Customs and Border Protection helicopter responded, but couldn’t track anyone.
Mexican authorities checked their side of the border and reported that witnesses saw people fleeing in a pickup truck and motorcycle. But police learned no more details.
The Monday shooting in California comes on the heels of several shootings at agents in Texas — and in each case authorities say the gunfire came from Mexico.
Five rounds were fired at an agent near El Paso Texas early Monday, according to Border Report. Three days before that, 20 rounds were fired at an agent from the same area.
The shootings come amid an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration.
The surge has seen smugglers become more resistant to capture, increasingly engaging in high-speed vehicle escapes or lashing out at agents.
San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said agents have increased patrols in the area where the California shooting happened, and vowed the Border Patrol is “taking this event very seriously.”
“Border violence is a serious threat to public safety, and to border agents responsible for national security. This incident is another example of the dangers our officers face every day,” he said.
