Border agent killed, partner injured by illegal immigrants using rocks, (update)
Border agent killed, partner injured by illegal immigrants using rocks, report says
FOX News
FoxNews.com2 hrs ago (Nov. 20, 2017)
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https://www.alipac.us/{"default":{"l...=f&l=f"}}© FoxNews.com One Border Patrol agent dead, one injured after being reportedly attacked by illegal immigrants in Texas; Casey Stegall reports on the latest in the investigation.
Illegal immigrants reportedly assaulted two U.S. Border Patrol agents with rocks, killing one and seriously injuring another Sunday near the southern border with Mexico.
Details around the attack remained murky Monday, however, an FBI spokesperson said Rogelio Martinez and his partner were not shot and a National Border Patrol Council official told KTSM the assailants were "undocumented immigrants" who used likely used rocks to bash the agents.
"We strongly believe rocks were what was used," NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto told KTSM.1:21
Border agent killed, partner injured by illegal immigrants using rocks, report says
The FBI had taken over the investigation into the death of Martinez, 36, and the injuring of his partner, who was not identified. The two were patrolling the Big Bend Sector of Texas when the attack occurred."They were not fired upon," said Jeanette Harper of the FBI's El Paso office. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."
Martinez, who was from El Paso and had worked as a border agent since August 2013, died of injuries sustained while responding to “activity” near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
He was on Interstate 10 near Mile Marker 151 when the incident occurred, KFOX14 reported. At some point, Martinez's partner called for help, saying he and Martinez had both been injured, investigators told KFOX14.
TRUMP'S BORDER WALL: A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
https://www.alipac.us/{"default":{"l...=f&l=f"}}© Provided by Fox NewsPresident Trump pushed the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall Sunday night following the incident, tweeting: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"
Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Sunday calling Martinez’s death a “tragic event.”
“Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured,” the statement read.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also released a statement calling the attack a “stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.”
“Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked,” Cruz said.
Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.
The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.
The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.
Fox News’ Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/border-agent-killed-another-injured-during-%E2%80%98attack%E2%80%99-near-texas-southern-border/ar-BBFf7qn?OCID=ansmsnnews11#image=2
Illegal Aliens Killed Border Agent by Crushing in His Skull with Rocks, Says NBPC
by BRANDON DARBY & ILDEFONSO ORTIZ
19 Nov 2017
18,486 comments
Exclusive details have emerged on the early morning attack against Border Patrol agents that left one agent dead and another hospitalized in serious condition on November, 19 2017. Breitbart Texas first broke the news of the death and injuries and now the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) says that their agents on the ground have stated that the agents were tracking a group of illegal aliens who then beat the agents with rocks until one was killed and the other hospitalized.
Border Patrol Agent Brandon Judd, also president of the NBPC, stated, “What we know is that Border Patrol Agent Rogilio Martinez appears to have been ambushed by a group of illegal aliens whom he was tracking. Our agents’ reports from the ground say that he was struck in the head multiple times with a rock or rocks.”
Agent Judd continued, “The other agent arrived on scene a short time later and was also ambushed and struck in the head with what is believed to have been a rock or rocks. These disgusting acts and complete disregard for human life need to stop immediately. Family members of slain Agent Martinez will never get to see him come home again all because we have failed to secure our borders from such criminals.”
Shortly after Breitbart Texas broke the news of the incident, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that one Border Patrol agent was dead and another hospitalized in serious condition; however, authorities would not provide more details. Breitbart Texas was unable to confirm the details with CBP and other federal agencies. The NBPC is the organization that represents approximately 16,000 of our nation’s Border Patrol agents.
Our original report is included below.
One Border Patrol agent is dead and his partner left hospitalized in serious condition in the Big Bend Sector of Texas. The FBI is leading the investigation while Border Patrol Special Operations agents and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations aircrews are currently searching the area for possible attackers.
Breitbart Texas learned from a trusted CBP official that details on the matter are scarce.
We do know that two Border Patrol agents working as partners in the Van Horn Station area of responsibility of the Big Bend Sector responded to “activity.” Whether the activity was an activated sensor or something else is currently unknown. This occurred on the morning of Sunday, November 19, 2017.
One of the Border Patrol agents later radioed into the communication center saying that he needed assistance and that he was injured. Other Border Patrol agents responded and found one agent injured and unconscious with injuries to his head and body. That agent, Rogelio Martinez, was later pronounced dead. Breitbart has learned that the agent’s family has been notified.
The responding agents also found the partner who had radioed for help. The agents transported the injured agent to the hospital where he is in “serious condition,” according to the official.Border Patrol agents and Culberson County Sheriff’s Office deputies secured the area.
Border Patrol Agent and President of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) Brandon Judd spoke with Breitbart Texas and expressed the council’s deepest condolences to the family of Agent Martinez and to the family of the other agent who is not named at this time. Agent Judd said that this is another example of why the border must be secured. Judd stated, “When all facts come to light on this matter, I believe the public will be outraged as there are those who do not value life who come across our border. Our borders must be secured and criminals must be held accountable.”
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/...cks-says-nbpc/
Report: Border Patrol Agents Ambushed, Stoned with Rocks
Report: Border Patrol Agents Ambushed, Stoned with Rocks
http://sanangelolive.com/sites/defau...?itok=_19Hpiqo
Nov. 19, 2017 9:43 pm
VAN HORN, TX — U.S. Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez and another agent were tracking a group of illegal aliens and were ambushed and beaten with stones, National Border Patrol Council President and Border Patrol Agent Brandon Judd told Breitbart Texas.
The Customs and Border Protection stated that Agent Martinez, 36, of El Paso was killed. His partner, who is not named by CBP, is in critical condition in a nearby hospital.
“What we know is that Border Patrol Agent Rogilio Martinez appears to have been ambushed by a group of illegal aliens whom he was tracking. Our agents’ reports from the ground say that he was struck in the head multiple times with a rock or rocks,” Breitbart Texas reported Judd said.
Judd’s description of the crime, as reported by Breitbart, coincides with a CBS News report that one agent was alone in his vehicle responding to a tripped alarm. He called for backup and the second agent arrived in his own vehicle.
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Judd said both were ambushed.
““The other agent arrived on scene a short time later and was also ambushed and struck in the head with what is believed to have been a rock or rocks,” Judd told Breitbart Texas.
The original story:
VAN HORN, TX — A Customs and Border Patrol agent was killed in what the CBP called the “line of duty.” According to an official statement from the CBP, the partner of the killed agent is in serious condition in a local hospital.
The agent killed was identified Rogelio Martinez, 36, of El Paso. He had served in the CBP as an agent since August 2013.
The incident happened Sunday morning in the Big Bend Sector. The CBP reported the two agents were on patrol near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area. According to CBP’s website, the Van Horn Station is staffed by five officers and is used to patrol all of Culberson County, and a portion of Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties. The CBP Station is located on the east side of Sierra Blanca. A CBP checkpoint is located four miles west of Sierra Blanca on Interstate 10.
The incident happened along Interstate 10 in Culberson County where the sheriff there secured the scene where the agents were injured. CBP stated that their Special Ops Agents and Air and Marine Operation of searching the area for potential suspects and witnesses. The Associated Press reported Sunday afternoon that the FBI is now leading the investigation.
President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday evening, “Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!”
Sen. Ted Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, issued a statement Sunday afternoon.
“Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked.
“This is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them. We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe. I remain fully committed to working with the Border Patrol to provide them with all the resources they need to safeguard our nation,” Cruz stated.
The New York Times keyed in on Cruz’s words, where he stated the agents were attacked.
CBS News reported Sunday night that one agent responded to a location where an alarm went off. He was in a single vehicle. He called in backup, who arrived in his own vehicle. “Officials have not yet established why an alarm was triggered or what transpired in the attack,” CBS reported.
Congressman Will Hurd represents Culberson County. He released a statement Sunday as well.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was fatally injured in Van Horn. Praying for a full recovery for his partner, who is currently in serious condition. The men and women of our Border Patrol have an incredibly dangerous and demanding job and they are our most important resource to securing our border,” Hurd stated.
Where to follow this story:
Fox 14 (El Paso and Las Cruces, New Mexico) has a Twitter account for their photographers. They were at the scene of the investigation before sundown and took photos of FBI agents. Follow @KFOX14Photoags on Twitter.
Texas Public Radio added that Martinez is survived by a son. According to Martinez’s Facebook page, he has been engaged to be married since May.
CBS7 out of Midland had a news crew at the scene this afternoon. They provided the cover photo above.
Marfa Public Radio reports from that part of West Texas.
http://sanangelolive.com/news/texas/...d-stoned-rocks
$20,000 reward offered in case of slain Border Patrol agent
$20,000 reward offered in case of slain Border Patrol agent
Updated 2:31 PM ET, Mon November 20, 2017
https://youtu.be/1QyPvrreiBI
(CNN)Authorities are scrambling to find whoever killed a Border Patrol agent and hope a $20,000 reward will help lead them to the assailant.
Rogelio Martinez, 36, and his partner were patrolling near Interstate 10 in southwest Texas, US Customs and Border Protection said. They were responding to activity near the border, but CBP officials would not say what type of activity.
At some point, Martinez and his partner suffered severe injuries. Martinez died Sunday morning, and his partner was in serious condition, officials said.
Authorities have not said how the two were injured, but a Customs and Border Protection spokesman said Martinez was not shot.
"On behalf of the quarter of a million front line officers and agents of DHS, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Agent Martinez and to the agent who is in serious condition," Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement.
President Donald Trump cited the incident as a reason why the US needs to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
"As you heard we lost a Border Patrol officer just yesterday and another one was brutally beaten and badly, badly hurt," Trump said Monday. "It looks like he'll make it, but very badly hurt."
On Sunday, Trumped tweeted, "We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall."
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...00m_normal.jpgDonald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Border Patrol Officer killed at
Southern Border, another badly hurt.
We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will,
and must, build the Wall!
5:29 PM - Nov 19, 2017
See Donald J. Trump's other Tweets
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced a reward of up to $20,000 through Texas Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Martinez and wounded his partner.
"Our prayers are with the families of this Border Patrol Agent who was killed & the other who was injured in this attack in Texas," Abbott tweeted. "Our resources must be increased to prevent these attacks in the future. #txlege #tcot"
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the attack was "a stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them."
"We are grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our border agents who have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe," Cruz said.
Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Diaz declined to describe the incident in detail, saying the FBI is investigating.
FBI spokeswoman Jeanette Harper said the FBI is still investigating and gathering facts.
The Border Patrol's Special Operations Group and agents from CBP's Air and Marine Operations have been searching the area for potential suspects or witnesses.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/us/bor...Most+Recent%29
Border Patrol-Agent Dies story
4 hrs ago
AP
EL PASO, Texas – In a story Nov. 22 about a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was injured in a Nov. 18 incident being released from a hospital, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said both that agent and an agent who didn't survive the incident, Rogelio Martinez, may have fallen. The official only said Martinez may have fallen.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Border agent injured in West Texas incident out of hospital
A Border Patrol agent injured in an incident that left a fellow agent dead has been discharged from an El Paso hospital
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A Border Patrol agent injured in an incident that left a fellow agent dead was discharged Wednesday from an El Paso hospital.
The agent was discharged Wednesday from the University Medical Center in El Paso, said Doug Mosier, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso. He declined to identify the agent and referred to the FBI all questions about the status of the investigation into Saturday night's incident near Van Horn that left agent Rogelio Martinez dead.
A message left with an FBI spokeswoman Wednesday wasn't returned.
Speculation about the incident has run rampant with several politicians calling it an attack and promoting the building of a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. in the FBI's El Paso office had said Tuesday that investigators were treating the incident as a "potential assault," but they could not rule out other scenarios.
Representatives from the border patrol's union were also insistent from the accounts of other agents who responded to the scene that the incident was an attack. Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, told The Associated Press that agents responding to the scene called it "grisly."
However, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Monday that Martinez may have fallen, and that the surviving agent had no memory of his duty-shift. The official spoke on condition of anonymity and is not authorized to speak publicly.
Border Patrol officials hoped to have answers for Martinez's family as they planned his visitation and funeral, set for Friday and Saturday in El Paso.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/27...ies-story.html
Autopsy only adds to mystery of Border Patrol agent's death
By MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE
FEB 07, 2018 | 11:05 AM
http://www.latimes.com/resizer/QcAep...Y3HRRUMRSE.jpg
Pallbearers carry Border Patrol Agent Rogelio "Roger" Martinez into Our Lady of Guadalupe Church for a funeral Mass on Nov. 25, 2017, in El Paso, Texas. (Mark Lambie / Associated Press)
His death was held up as example of the dangers faced by the Border Patrol — and cited by President Trump as another reason to build a border wall — but an autopsy report on an agent fatally injured in a west Texas culvert last fall only deepens the mystery surrounding his death.
Agent Rogelio "Roger" Martinez, 36, a four-year Border Patrol veteran, died of "blunt force trauma," according to the report, but how he received his injuries remains unclear.
Martinez suffered head injuries and broken bones Nov. 18 near Interstate 10 about 130 miles east of El Paso after responding to a triggered sensor, according to the FBI, which is still investigating.
Shortly before the incident late on a Saturday night, fellow agents said they heard Martinez radio that he had found signs of activity and was checking them out. They were summoned to the 9-foot-deep culvert after a second agent who responded suffered head injuries and had to be hospitalized.
Agent Stephen Garland, 38, has since returned home and was assisting investigators, according to FBI spokeswoman Jeanette Harper. But Garland is still recovering and has trouble remembering what happened, according to Lee Smith, a spokesman for the local Border Patrol union who met with Garland after the incident and said he declined interviews with the news media.
Trump drew national attention to the incident when it was first reported, tweeting, "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"
Officials with the Border Patrol union said the agents were ambushed by migrants. They noted that the culvert where the agents were found is frequented by smugglers who cross the border illegally about 50 miles south and trek north to the interstate with backpacks of marijuana and other drugs. Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the local union, said the pair were likely hit with rocks.
State and federal officials offered a $70,000 reward for information in connection with the incident. The FBI widened its search to several states, erecting billboards asking for help from Texas to Southern California.
An informant familiar with human smugglers told Border Patrol officials that a pair of brothers recently smuggled across the border had admitted to assaulting the agents, according to a warrant later filed to search the brothers' car in New Mexico. FBI agents questioned the brothers, but ruled them out as suspects in the agent's death, although they were charged in federal court with alien smuggling, according to court documents.
The autopsy report, released Tuesday night, said Martinez suffered brain hemorrhaging, and fractures to the skull, eye socket, right ribs and collarbone, as well as contusion of his right shoulder, according to Dr. Janice Diaz-Cavalliery, assistant El Paso County medical examiner.
The autopsy also showed a drug in Martinez's system: butalbital, a barbiturate often found in drugs combined with aspirin, acetaminophen, caffeine or codeine. Diaz-Cavalliery noted that the drug can cause "drowsiness, sedation and ataxia," a loss of coordination.
Manner of death was listed in the report as "undetermined."
Although Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other officials have said the agents were attacked, that hasn't been confirmed by the FBI. A local sheriff, among first responders to the scene, speculated the pair may have been sideswiped by tractor trailers.
But a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing agents, on Wednesday insisted Martinez's death was not accidental.
"Our position has not changed. We believe Agent Martinez was attacked and murdered," union spokesman Chris Cabrera said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...207-story.html
