Wild weekend for Yuma sector Border Patrol

JEFFREY GAUTREAUX
Aug 28, 2006

CONTINUING COVERAGE

Yuma sector U.S. Border Patrol agents were attacked four other times within hours of when an agent shot a Mexican national and killed him, according to the agency. The Border Patrol says these types of incidents are on the rise in the sector and show the frustration felt by illegal immigrant smugglers.

"This weekend we experienced an escalation in attacks in response to us gaining more and more operational control," said Border Patrol spokesman Ben Vik.

Early Sunday morning, agents were shot at by sniper-style gunfire, pelted with rocks twice and also shot at with a paintball gun. These incidents all
followed a shooting Saturday night near Andrade, Calif.

The Border Patrol said at this point it was unknown if the incidents are related. The FBI is investigating the shooting.

In that incident, a group of people on the Mexican side of the border began throwing rocks at agents who were trying to rescue an illegal immigrant who was struggling in Alamo Pond. After an agent was struck in the head by a rock, he fired a single round. The man who was shot later died at a Mexican hospital, according to the Border Patrol.

About an hour later, a patrol vehicle was struck by sniper-style gunfire near County 22nd Street and the Salinity Canal, according to Vik. The two other rock-throwing incidents also occurred near San Luis.

Agents have been facing more unconventional attacks, such as paintball fire and Molotov cocktails recently, according to the Border Patrol. Vik said agents have also dealt with burning debris being thrown at them.