CBP Border Patrol Agent Assaulted with Cinder Block

(Monday, March 09, 2009)




Tucson, Ariz. – A U.S. Border Patrol agent from the Tucson sector was struck in the head with a cinder block by an unidentified assailant who was standing on the Mexican side of the International Border Fence.


On March 9, an agent working just west of Nogales noticed a breach in the International Border Fence. When the agent went to get a closer look, an unidentified person on the Mexican side dropped a large piece of cinder block onto his head. The agent received cuts and scrapes on his forehead, nose and chest. His hand was also injured from the attack. A Border Patrol agent certified as an Emergency Medical Technician responded to the scene and provided first aid.


Mexican police officials were contacted and they responded to the area a short while later. They were able to locate a possible witness to the assault. The investigation is still ongoing.


This is a prime example of the types of violence that agents face on a daily basis when working to secure the border. Chief Patrol Agent Robert W. Gilbert said, “As we gain operational control of our border, smugglers and other types of criminal elements have become frustrated and the result is an increase in assaults.â€