As late as October 26, ABC News reported that the agents involved had not yet been questioned about the incident. Two of the men hired a taxi to drive them from Eagle Pass to Presidio. Perhaps thats when the contrition will commence. If they have not quit already (as many agents have given the current lack of support they are receiving from the administration), they may go back to the horses, or maybe they will decide that processing thousands of aliens a day is a more halcyon way to spend a career. Anfinsen defended the agents at the time, saying they were thrown under the bus by the Biden administration, which took the agents off duty and ordered an investigation, which remains ongoing. Salas was part of a Special Operations Group working jointly with the US Border Patrol BORTAC near Eagle Pass on Friday. Many Border Patrol agents and officers with Customs and Border Protection, its parent agency, live in the Uvalde area, which is part of the 245-mile-long Del Rio Border Patrol sector. Mayorkas swore to the committee that the subjects of that investigation would not be conducting law enforcement duties to interact with migrants, but rather only conducting administrative duties while that investigation was ongoing. A bank of Texas state troopers and National Guard units now guard the entrance to the Del Rio International Bridge and have restricted media from parking on the side of the road closest to the river. The agent died at a hospital. The state and Texas law enforcement are doing what the federal government refuses to do work to secure the southern border and protect Texans and their property. 0:00. Donovan denied the charges, blaming untruthful informants and the Bronx district attorney (a Democrat) for the indictment ever being handed down. EAGLE PASS, Texas - Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector recovered the bodies of three deceased migrants within a four-hour span, Aug. 17. In a stunning turn of events, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has vowed to gain control of the Southwest border, telling the House Homeland Security Committee: I want to assure you that we are addressing this with tremendous speed and tremendous force. Still, I argued that a proper investigation should be done, but that it was unseemly for the administration to rush to judgment as it had. Migrants are apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Tex., in January. The video above is ABC13's 24/7 Livestream. Aside from Fox News, none of the major outlets that splashed the images of the agents across television and the internet have even deigned to comment. In any event, the New Yorker piece ran more than two months after CNN reported in mid-November that the DHS Inspector General had declined to investigate the incident. In the chaotic hours after an 18-year-old gunman went on a rampage at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 young children and two teachers, a narrative emerged about a heroic Border Patrol agent who stopped the massacre before it got any worse. A CBP official told VICE News the gunman was killed by a member of Border Patrols elite BORTAC special operations unit, the agencys equivalent to a SWAT team. Vice President Kamala Harris offered her own take on the pictures of agents using horses at the border, sharing that she was deeply troubled and opining that human beings should never be treated that way.. The leading cause of death for agents during 2021 was COVID-19. The agent followed the vehicle to the Del Rio Wal-Mart . United States Border Patrol agents on horseback try to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio . BORTAC agents are taught to handle terror threats abroad and other chaos, such as riots at ICE detention facilities, NBC reported. It was against this backdrop that Mayorkas made his statements before the Homeland Security Committee on September 22. It is December 12, 2020 and this just aired on Mystery. As a winter storm moves into the area, Eagle Pass agents arrest another group of 400. On Friday, January 27th, 1984, four men committed a jewelry robbery in Cuidad Acuna, Mexico, and crossed into the United States at the Del Rio Port of Entry. Agent Hunter Labombard of the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector lost his life on Wednesday night in a tragic accident. Prayers for the Salas family. On the evening of Friday, 01/21/2022, Special Agent Salas was supporting Operation Lone Star as a Special Operations Group (SOG) Operator in partnership with the U.S. Border Patrol in Maverick County near Eagle Pass. This incident is under investigation by the FBI and under review by the CBP's . From October through March, agents in the Border Patrol's Del Rio sector had 68,570 "encounters" with migrants more than four times as many as in the same period a year earlier. CNN's Rosa Flores visits border town Del Rio, Texas, where thousands of migrants are sleeping in the dirt in huts waiting to get processed by US immigration. Some turned themselves in to Border Patrol while some ran to escape apprehension. It comes with a heavy heart that the Department reports the tragic death of Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Special Agent Anthony Salas. A US Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on . Skero said Morales is survived by his wife and four children. Dozens of agents from the community and from surrounding communities all showed up, some were helping get children out of classrooms while gunfire was happening, Anfinsen said. Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:20:24 GMT (1677763224197), Courtesy: Hunter Lambombard GoFundMe page. I am saddened to hear that DPS Special Agent Anthony Salas was killed in a horrific vehicle accident in the line of duty in Eagle Pass. In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated. Water gushes for days with no one stopping it. People without legal status in Uvalde could be cut off from accessing trauma counseling, food relief, and other emergency servicesor even too afraid to go outside and collectively mourn with others in their community, said Sarah Valdes, director of released unaccompanied children services at RAICES, a Texas nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants. The cop barged into that classroom. Mayorkas did make those statements before the committee, back in September. The federal law enforcement official and a border patrol agent who helped in the search for the missing girl told the AP previously that the woman was spotted on a border camera shortly after 5 p . That included between 80 to 100 on-duty and off-duty agents along with some who were in training. MISSION, Texas (AP) A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent died Wednesday after an all-terrain vehicle accident while patrolling along the border in south Texas, according to the agency. Many agents who work in the Del Rio sector call Uvalde home, he said, and are involved as coaches and community leaders. (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images), killing 19 young children and two teachers, The Police Timeline of the Texas School Shooting Has a Lot of Holes, Uvalde Police Refused to Enter School Despite Desperate Pleas From Parents, Uvalde had been declared a protected area. United States Border Patrol agents on horseback try to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio . 03:21 - Source: CNN Latest Videos 18 . What responsibilities or measures did the Border take after this kidnap/murder? It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States. They say agent Labombard died in a off-duty accident. Border Patrol is well liked in Uvalde, Anfinsen said. Mayorkas further explained, we need to conduct this investigation thoroughly but very quickly. Its not just families and friends who lost children, we have to deal with all the first responders, law enforcement, EMS, firefighterswe had agents who had to help carry children's bodies out of the school. Salas was thirty-seven years old, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was a Trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol before his promotion to CID Special Agent. United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, US. Agent Hunter Labombard of the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector lost his life on Wednesday night in a tragic accident. His body was found outside of the border city of Eagle Pass, Maverick County, in a ditch about 200 yards off Highway 277 and north of Eagle Pass around noon on Saturday, January 28th, 1984. 0:00. While Uvalde is an hours drive away from the border, it falls within a 100-mile zone that gives federal agents broad latitude to operate, including by setting up immigration checkpoints. The Biden border crisis has produced the death of a law enforcement agent working in support of Operation Lone Star. Please join Jan and me in prayer for Special Agent Anthony Salas and his family, after he was killed in an accident while working on the border. "We are rescuing people in the river all . The agent was tracking a group of people who had crossed the . Lt. Agents encountered a deceased male floating in the the Rio Grande River south of the Eagle Pass Port of Entry at approximately 8:40 a.m. Two hours later, boat patrol agents discovered another deceased male floating in the Rio Grande River . After nearly four years without a single suicide in their ranks, border agents are killing themselves in greater numbers. Inspector Richard Latham was shot and killed after being abducted from the Del Rio Port of Entry in Del Rio, Texas. The man who shot Inspector Latham was sentenced to life in prison and the other two were sentenced to 23 years in prison. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told CNN tonight that some local law enforcement "engaged" the shooter outside of the school before CBP received the call at about 11:30 a.m. and agents responded from various locations in the area. He was working under a compassionate detail to the Burke Border Patrol Station in New York at the time of his passing. "With a heavy heart, we regret to announce the line-of-duty death of Border Patrol Agent . Border Patrol Union of Del Rio posted the information on their Twitter page. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. all 33 Reflections, Reflections Terms of Use (revised 5/31/2012), View, edit or delete any Reflection you've left in the past. Jon Anfinsen, president of Local 2366 of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents Border Patrol employees in the Del Rio sector, told VICE News that the agents who arrived on the scene entered the school as quickly as possible. The information is gathered by experienced and trusted Nexstar Media Group journalists hired specifically to cover the border. "The death of an Agent who died while securing our nation's border is a tremendous loss for our organization and our nation; our prayers are with his family and co-workers during this difficult time," said U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz in the statement. In one shot, captured by the photojournalist Paul Ratje, an agent lunges forward to grab a young mans shirt; the man, who has since been identified as Mirard Joseph, is carrying nothing more threatening than food for his wife and daughter. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The track record has not been one of building trust with these communities.. McALLEN, Texas (border report). pic.twitter.com/Hwq7ih5ISj. CBP responded immediately to the incident with local law enforcement, Magnus said. MISSION, Texas -- A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent died Wednesday after an all-terrain vehicle accident while patrolling along the border in south Texas, according to the agency. Click Share This Page button to display social media links. During a trip to Europe, I personally had to defend the honor of the agents and the country on Swiss television and before members of the European Parliament (none of whom seemed to have any familiarity with horses). 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The questioning apparently would have followed DOJs assessment, as per ABC News, although as a former prosecutor, I have no idea why. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) A U.S. Border Patrol agent and El Paso native died in a crash Monday night near Del Rio, Texas. Bishop Evans jumped into the Rio Grande on Friday to save two people he thought were struggling to swim across Shipping containers line the area near the Rio Grande river in 2021 in Eagle Pass, Texas. Here inside the city, well get phone calls saying, Hey, we saw two or three run through a yard. Our guys are constantly responding to calls for possible undocumented persons., From our front door of the station, you can see Mexico. The FBI is leading the investigation into the attack on two Border Patrol agents. Abasing himself, the secretary told the committee that he had ordered an investigation of the incident by the DHSs Office of Professional Responsibilitys leaders, and added that he had also informed the DHS Office of Inspector General. At least 19 kids and two adults were killed in the shooting, one of the worst school massacres in US history. 0:54. Recent images from Del Rio have hown migrants fleeing Border Patrol agents on horseback who are wielding their reins like whips, with a Reuters witness catching an agent unfurl and swing one in . The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. Two were killed in vehicle-related . He was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital where he died, surrounded by family. The town is devastated, obviously, he said. At 8:50 p.m. Saturday, Agent Doss, a 49-year-old Resident Agent, with the United States Border Patrol, in Abilene, TX responded to a call for assistance from Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) trooper on the Interstate 20 frontage road. This tragedy is a somber reminder of the selfless sacrifices our law enforcement make as they work to keep us safe. I am deeply saddened to inform you of the off duty death of Border Patrol Agent Fernando Morales. Ansinger said that as far as he knows, migrants usually pass through Uvalde on the way to other parts of the country. The agent, part of CBPs Del Rio sector, which covers Uvalde, was trained in a manner similar to US special forces. And one of the persons in my class said 'help, the boy told KENS. People drop off flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the Robb Elementary School on May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. A Border Patrol agent was wounded by gunfire during the shootout and is among the 17 injured survivors. On May . EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) A U.S. Border Patrol agent and El Paso native died in a crash Monday night near Del Rio, Texas. The accident happened about 1 a.m. near Mission, Texas, along the border with Mexico, Customs and Border Patrol said in a statement. DHS Investigation. Their nationalities and ages have not been released. 1:07. Members of a Border Patrol special ops team killed the gunman, according to the agency, but their actionsand their complicated presence in the communityare under scrutiny. DHS also released a statement last week detailing its strategy to address the border upheaval, including placing 400 more agents and officers in the Del Rio sector, moving migrants from the region . When Franky Palacios Paz was found naked and decapitated floating off South Padre Island, the local sheriff thought the murder . Governor Abbott released a statement. He is survived by his wife and four children. Please show us the Experts Clause of the Constitution, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, St. Louis newspaper publishes response to gender clinic worker's story, Jon Stewart to the Left, media: Told you so about the lab leak, Princeton senior: Campus politics are driving some students to the right, The COVID hearings you will never see covered in the news, Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. Marsha Espinosa, the Department of Homeland Securitys assistant secretary of public affairs, confirmed on Twitter late Tuesday that at least one Border Patrol agent was wounded by the shooter. We've received your submission. It will be completed in days, not weeks.. It was determined that Inspector Latham was executed with a shot to his back. It is clear to law enforcement officials that this is a coordinated effort. I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for Agent Salas family as they grieve this unimaginable loss.. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, Mom of 2, stabbed 8 times, is making most of second chance at life, Whose leak is it anyway? SHARE. Everyone converged on the scene as quickly as they could possibly get there.. Unfortunate, unthinkable and such a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. 400 people dont just coincidentally decide to cross together. In June, four migrants died and three other people were injured after a Jeep being pursued by Border Patrol agents crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer on the interstate near the Texas border city of Encinal. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Inspector Richard Latham was shot and killed after being abducted from the Del Rio Port of Entry in Del Rio, Texas. That said, there is plenty of reason to believe that the department had taken its sweet time with the whole affair. And while their actions were undoubtedly heroic, one witness, a 10-year-old boy, has come forward to say the cops inadvertently helped the gunman identify another victim to shoot. A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman told the newspaper that a 2016 Freightliner truck tractor towing a 2019 Great Dane Reefer was traveling north on U.S. 277 and veered into oncoming traffic in a no-passing zone before striking a Morales 2017 Volkswagen Passat. CBP reported that on May 24, 2022, a U.S. Border Patrol agent was involved in a use of force incident which resulted in the death of an individual in Border Patrol custody. 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