Officials from the United States Customs and Border Protection Office reported that a Mexican migrant who died after an encounter with a Border Patrol agent last weekend, was shot when he was detained after an escape attempt.
A CBP statement Wednesday said the incident occurred after two agents on horseback responded around 9 p.m. Saturday to reports of migrants spotted in a remote mountainous area some 50 kilometers (30 miles) away. northeast of Douglas, Arizona. It was the agency’s most detailed account of what happened.
The fatal incident came a month after new CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus took office after a term as Tucson police chief, where he reformed the department’s use-of-force policy and pushed for more rendition. of counts. Problems with abuse of force are among Magnus’s many challenges in his new role.
CBP said the incident in the area known as Skeleton Canyon came after agents apprehended three migrants who were in the United States illegally and spotted a fourth trying to escape.
An agent followed that person down the hill into the canyon and “as he was arresting him, he discharged his weapon, fatally wounding the migrant.” The agent has not been identified.
Agents at the scene called for backup and two other migrants from the same group were found and detained.
Ricardo Pineda, the Mexican consul in Douglas, confirmed Wednesday that he has contacted the family of the deceased and will help in any way he can. He said authorities have been asked to carry out a strict investigation in accordance with the law.
“It’s something very worrying for us,” Pineda said. “We look forward to a thorough investigation.”
The Pima County coroner’s office said an autopsy determined the migrant died as a result of multiple gunshots. He said he wouldn’t have any more information until the final report is issued.
CBP said the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department and the Pima Coroner are investigating the incident. You will also be examined by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility.
Upon completion of the review, the incident will be reviewed by CBP’s National Use of Force Review Board.
Border agents have been involved in an increasing number of use-of-force incidents in recent years. During the final 28 months of Donald Trump’s presidency, CBP recorded a monthly average of 50 instances of use of force. Under Joe Biden, those incidents increased to an average of 70 per month, a 40% increase.
There have also been more fatal incidents involving Border Patrol agents, though the number of encounters with migrants has risen at an even higher rate. Nearly 60 Patrol encounters resulted in deaths in 2021, three times the 2019 total and four times the annual average for the decade.
