Border Patrol agent shoots illegal border crosser near Nogales

By Brady McCombs Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star
November 16, 2010 2:43 pm

A Border Patrol agent shot an illegal border crosser in the abdomen Tuesday morning northwest of Nogales.

The man who was shot, a 30-year-old from Nogales, Sonora, is being airlifted to a Tucson hospital. It’s unclear if the injuries are life-threatening, said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada.

The Border Patrol called the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at 9:40 a.m. to report the shooting, Estrada said. It’s unknown when the shooting occurred, he said.

Here’s what they know so far about what happened:

Agents in the Border Patrol’s horse patrol were working near Walker Canyon in a remote area two miles northeast of Peña Blanca Lake when they came upon 12 illegal border crossers. The group fled from the agents and one got knocked down.

Shortly after, shots were fired.

The 30-year-old was shot at least once in the abdomen. Due to the remoteness of the location, the Border Patrol had to walk him out of the rugged area to a spot where a helicopter could land.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies did not find any weapons or drugs at the scene and are still trying to figure what happened, Estrada said. The Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting hasn’t given Estrada’s deputies his account of the incident.

“We are still in the preliminary stages,â€