Drug smugglers fire at agents near border

By Brady McCombs

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Drug smugglers opened fire on U.S. Border Patrol agents late Friday evening east of Sasabe in what highlighted a busy weekend along Arizona's stretch of U.S.-Mexican border.

Close to the international line east of Sasabe about 11 p.m. Friday, an agent noticed a group of eight crossing the border with backpacks, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. As other agents arrived to make an apprehension, the backpackers opened fire, he said.

Agents ducked and took cover. The backpackers continued firing as they retreated back into Mexico, Scioli said. Agents didn't return fire because they didn't know where the bullets were coming from, he said.

None of the agents was hurt.

Helicopters flew in and the Border Patrol's special response team came out, but none of the suspected shooters was located. They did leave behind 253 pounds of marijuana in the backpacks they were carrying, he said.

On Saturday evening an agent patrolling near the fence in downtown Nogales fired four rounds from a pepper-ball launcher after people in Mexico began throwing rocks at him, Scioli said.

About 5 p.m., a scout perched atop the steel landing-mat fence in Nogales began telling others to throw rocks at the agent, who was outside of his vehicle, he said. The agent countered by using his pepper-ball launcher to saturate the area. The agency also called Mexican law enforcement for assistance.

The agent wasn't injured.

Agents also found two large groups of illegal entrants in separate incidents over the weekend.