Shots fired from Mexico at water district employees near Hidalgo, official says

July 13, 2011 6:56 PM
Dave Hendricks
The Monitor

McALLEN — At least three shots were fired across the Rio Grande last Thursday, nearly striking two men working on a riverside pump station.

The bullets hit Hidalgo County Water Improvement District 3’s pump station, just feet from where the employees were working, about 3:30 p.m., said Othal E. Brand Jr., the water district’s general manager. Both men escaped unharmed.

Brand said Border Patrol agents were called to the scene. A Border Patrol spokesman said there’s no record of the incident, but that wouldn’t be unusual given the circumstances.

Asked how District 3 will react, Brand said he didn’t have an easy answer.

“Well, the old South Texas way is just to give them a gun,â€