FBI probes death of Border Patrol agent
Search is on for suspects, witnesses
The FBI is investigating an incident Sunday in which a Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner sent to a hospital in El Paso, where he is in intensive care, but in stable condition. A search is underway for witnesses and possibly suspects in an area just off Interstate 10 near Van Horn, Texas, after the death of Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36.
“Agent Martinez’s partner reported that they were both injured and in need of assistance,” according to a statement released Sunday by the Border Patrol. The agents were checking a remote area in the dark after something set off a ground sensor.
The Border Patrol has not identified the surviving agent. The FBI’s El Paso office is leading the investigation and a spokeswoman said both men sustained traumatic head injuries and broken bones. A news conference scheduled for late Monday was postponed until today.
President Trump referred to the attack as he reiterated his call to build a wall along the entire border with Mexico. “As you heard, we lost a Border Patrol officer yesterday, and another one was brutally beaten and badly, badly hurt. Looks like he’ll make it,” the president said.
Gov. Susana Martinez told television station KOAT earlier Monday the agent was “stoned to death,” but a spokesman for Martinez did not confirm she said that.
Culberson County, Texas, Sheriff Oscar Carillo and his deputies were among the first responders, and he cautioned against drawing conclusions until the investigation is complete. “The one with all answers is that agent in the hospital,” said Carillo. He said the remote region has experienced drug and human smuggling. The rugged terrain also poses a risk for law enforcement.
Nearly 1,200 Border Patrol agents work in New Mexico, many in similar conditions along isolated stretches of border.
Both the national and local unions representing agents offered condolences and support following the deadly incident in Big Bend.
“We are focusing on the families of the Big Bend Border Patrol agents and hope these criminals will be brought to justice,” said Stu Harris, vice president of the union that represents agents in the El Paso Border Patrol region that includes New Mexico.