American border guard dies in Puerto Rico shootout

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — One United States border agent was killed and two injured Thursday in a shootout with suspected traffickers off Puerto Rico’s west coast, a federal spokesperson told AFP.

At around 8 a.m. local time, three US Customs and Border Protection maritime agents spotted a suspicious vessel some 22 kilometers west of Cabo Rojo, Jeffrey Quinones, CBP spokesperson in the US island territory, said.

When they approached the boat, its two occupants — who Quinones said were believed to be traffickers — opened fire on them.

The border patrol fired back and killed one of the suspects while the other was injured.