Rock Attacks Increase On Border
Monica Balderrama-KFOX News Reporter

POSTED: 5:44 pm MDT August 12, 2007
UPDATED: 9:01 pm MDT August 12, 2007


Violence along the stretch of the border in the El Paso sector is growing and it's aimed at the people protecting the border.

The number of assaults on Border Patrol agents is increasing and what they're using to hurt them is an unlikely weapon.

A Border Patrol surveillance video shows just one of a number of rock-throwing attacks on agents.

"CBP Border Patrol is very concerned with recent events that have occurred. We have a large increase on assaults on our border patrol agents," said Michele LeBoeuf with the El Paso Sector Border Patrol Public Affairs Office.

The attack recorded on June 27 shows two migrants on the Mexican side picking up rocks, while a third swims for his life in the Rio Grande. The agent draws his handgun and eventually gets hit by a rock.

Border Patrol officials said the agent was hospitalized and the man in the river drowned. Another rock-throwing incident involved a 2-inch rock. The damage it caused resulted in many stitches on this border patrol agent. Many other agents on different occasions received stitches as well.

Border Patrol officials said the stepped-up security has led to the growing number of assaults on agents. But agents say they will take the risk.

"And when you go into the field you know that you have the authority and the responsibility to protect yourself and the livelihood of our community," said LeBoeuf.

According to the El Paso sector Border Patrol, this fiscal year agents arrested about 66,000 undocumented immigrants. Of that border patrol agents were assaulted 64 times and of those 64 times, agents used deadly force in six occasions.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/13875765/detail.html