Thread: Border Patrol exchanges fire across Rio Grande

Border Patrol exchanges fire across Rio Grande

The Associated Press
Published: 3:36 p.m. Friday, March 2, 2012

ROMA, Texas — Border Patrol agents making a drug seizure near the border west of Roma have exchanged gunfire with smugglers in Mexico.

The Border Patrol said in a statement late Thursday that one day earlier agents were nearly run over by vehicles loaded with marijuana near the banks of the Rio Grande. Agents fired at the drivers and then gunmen across the river began shooting at them. The agents returned fire across the border. No agents were injured, but it was unknown whether anyone on the Mexican side was hit.

Agents found nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana, but the drivers of the vehicles escaped.

Rosendo Hinojosa, chief patrol agent, said assaults on agents would not be tolerated and agents would continue to respond with appropriate force.

Border Patrol exchanges fire across Rio Grande

That gun boat would have been great there. When they see what they're up against (smugglers) I believe they won't be shooting as much.


http://www.alipac.us/f12/texas-navy-...grande-251910/

Drug smugglers fire at Border Patrol agents

March 2nd 2012



ROMA — U.S. Border Patrol agents were engaged in a firefight with drug smugglers on the Mexican side Wednesday night.

The clash took place along both sides of the border west of Roma in an unpopulated rural area near the Rio Grande about 10 p.m., said Border Patrol Spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey.

USBP agents were not hurt in the firefight and it remains unclear if any of the Mexico-side gunmen were injured. Authorities have not received any information that points to suspects having been injured on the U.S. side, Huey said.

According to information released by the agency, USBP agents observed several individuals loading bundles of marijuana into two vehicles on the banks of the river on the U.S. side. The agents moved in on the vehicles but the drivers attempted to run over the agents, forcing them to fire in self defense.

As the agents fired at the vehicles, a group of gunmen from Mexico fired at the agents who return shots at the gunmen in Mexico. The drivers of the vehicles were able to escape, but a search of the area turned up approximately 4,000 pounds of marijuana.

“Assaults on our agents will not be tolerated,” Chief Patrol Agent Rosendo Hinojosa said in a prepared statement. “Our agents are well trained and equipped to deal with these types of volatile situations and they will respond with the appropriate force against all threats in order to ensure their safety and the safety of the communities they protect.”

While the shootout was in progress, agents patrolling the river near Rio Grande City noticed fresh footprints. The agents followed the footprints and found a trapdoor that led to an underground bunker with more than 2,800 pounds of marijuana inside.

That same night, agents near Garceño tracked a suspicious vehicle to a residence where they found another underground bunker with close to 1,400 pounds of marijuana.

Drug smugglers fire at Border Patrol agents*|*U.S. Open Borders

Thank goodness the agents are safe.