A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot on Thursday in New Mexico while attempting to make a traffic stop, authorities reported.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 in the morning near Lordsburg, New Mexico, a small town 90 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The suspect hit the federal agent in the chest multiple times from a vehicle that authorities believe was being used for human smuggling. The unnamed agent was wearing body armor and was released from the hospital after medical evaluation.
A U.S. border agent was shot multiple times by a human smuggler.
This is the reality of the crisis at our southern border, and President Biden must act swiftly to protect our Border Patrol and nation at large.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 6, 2023
After the shots were fired, the agent returned fire at the vehicle. The vehicle was involved in a rollover crash a few miles from the shooting incident. Six individuals were taken into custody from the vehicle following the crash. Two of them were flown to a trauma center in El Paso, Texas.
The shooting and the subsequent incident are being investigated by the FBI, New Mexico state officials, and other agencies, according to reports.
Sen. Crystal Diamond (R-NM) said that “while many details are still unknown, what is clear is that today one of our brave border patrol agents took a bullet for this country and our community.”
The incident highlights how dangerous the southern border has become under the Biden administration and comes days before President Biden’s often-talked-about-but-never-materialized visit to the southern border.
Mounting pressure from both sides has given the White House no choice but to send the sitting president to assess the border situation. Biden will visit the border for the first time since his presidency next week — despite what White House press secretary Jean-Pierre says.
Fox News program “The Five” discussed Biden’s upcoming visit on Thursday after his announcement of the administration’s new border plan.
Judge Janine Pirro of “The Five” warned that she believes Biden won’t bring attention to how bad things are at the border, but rather gaslight Americans.
“This guy is going to gaslight us when he goes there. He’s going to talk about how great it is. He’s not going to talk about the mess,” Pirro said.
Pirro argued Biden needs to acknowledge the gangs, fentanyl, and human trafficking at the southern border and not deny that it’s happening, stating that if he doesn’t, he is “complicit” in the crisis.
