Agents, driver exchange gunfire at checkpoint

LAS CRUCES — A man was transported to a hospital after exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 25 in Southern New Mexico, federal officials said.

Police have released few details about the encounter but said it began Sunday evening when the man was driving through the checkpoint and was referred to a secondary inspection.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the man brandished a handgun as he was being questioned and then fired one shot through his car in the direction of Border Patrol agents. Agents returned gunfire and then secured the scene and administered first aid.

CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the FBI and state authorities are investigating.

Immigration checkpoints are common around the southwest and can be as far as 100 miles from the international border.

There are five permanent checkpoints in New Mexico at which agents and police-trained dogs monitor cars and ask about citizenship status. If a person is deemed suspicious, agents will refer them to a secondary and more thorough inspection.

Checkpoints have been controversial in Arizona, where some community members say they encroach on their freedom to move freely and result in racial profiling. There are about 11 checkpoints in Arizona’s Tucson Sector, which comprises most of the state.

Customs and Border Protection says checkpoints strategically located and serve to catch and deter human and drug smuggling.