FBI finds no evidence of attack on border agent

The FBI probe of the November death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has yielded no evidence there was a “scuffle, altercation or attack.” The finding comes two months after President Donald Trump and others used the suggestion of an attack to promote building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

DALLAS — FBI officials said Wednesday that the investigation into the November death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has yielded no evidence that there was a “scuffle, altercation or attack” more than two months after President Donald Trump and others used the suggestion of an attack to promote the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Investigators have conducted more than 650 interviews and involved 37 field offices in their probe, but have not found definitive evidence of an attack, the FBI said in a statement. The investigation will continue and the reward of up to $50,000 for information that closes the case will remain.

“To date none of the more than 650 interviews completed, locations searched, or evidence collected and analyzed have produced evidence that would support the existence of a scuffle, altercation, or attack on November 18, 2017,” said the release from the El Paso office of Emmerson Buie, a special agent in charge.

Rogelio Martinez died from injuries he sustained while he and his partner were responding to reports of unknown activity the night of Nov. 18 near Van Horn, a Texas town near the Mexico border about 110 miles southeast of El Paso.

Martinez’s partner radioed for help before both agents were airlifted to the hospital, where 36-year-old Martinez died a few hours later. The partner– who suffered from head injuries– was released from the hospital after several days, but told investigators he could not remember the incident.

The FBI release Wednesday noted that a dispatcher, who was among the people interviewed by investigators, took the call from the surviving agent. According to the release, the dispatcher wrote in his log that, “(He) thinks they (both agents) ran into a culvert.”

An autopsy report from the El Paso County medical examiner’s office released Tuesday night shed little light on what caused the serious injuries that Martinez suffered. The report listed “blunt force trauma” as the cause of death, but said the manner of his death was undetermined.

Dr. Janice Diaz-Cavalliery, assistant medical examiner, found that Martinez had a skull fracture, a fractured eye socket, multiple rib fractures and a broken collarbone, according to the 11page report. She found brain hemorrhaging but no other internal injuries.

A Border Patrol union, the National Border Patrol Council, has previously said the two were attacked and struck with a rock or rocks. Messages left with representatives of the group were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also have said the two were attacked, with Trump using the incident to renew his call for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.