Border Patrol agent shot, wounded in canyon

By Manuel C. Coppola
Published Monday, December 28, 2009 10:39 AM MST

A Border Patrol agent was shot in the ankle at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ramanote Canyon area west of Rio Rico.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s officials said the agency requested assistance after the victim suffered a wound to his ankle and was taken by helicopter to University Medical Center in Tucson.

BP spokesman Omar Candelaria told The Associated Press that lawmen were searching for several assailants.

Sheriff Antonio Estrada said the incident began when a camera mounted on a BP vehicle picked up a “backpackerâ€