A Border Patrol agent was violently attacked as she attempted to arrest a migrant near Naco, Arizona, on Saturday. As the agent attempted to place the migrant in her vehicle, the migrant reportedly knocked the agent off her feet and began punching her repeatedly in the face. According to a source within CBP, the agent suffered a broken nose and other injuries.
The source, not authorized to speak to the media, says the migrant fled from the scene but was later captured after a brief chase by agents responding to a call for assistance. The migrant faces charges for allegedly assaulting a federal officer.
In a statement released by CBP, the Tucson Border Patrol Sector agent was assaulted as she took a migrant into custody near Foudy Road and State Route 92 at 4:00 am. The agent was taken to a hospital. The identity of the accused migrant was not released.
The FBI and Cochise County Sherriff’s Office are investigating the incident, according to a CBP statement.
Assaults against Border Patrol agents have risen steadily with rising numbers of migrants apprehended along the southwestern border. In 2020, a total of 316 assaults against Border Patrol agents were officially recorded. In 2022, the figure rose 36 percent to 430 as the fiscal year ended. Since October 2022, the agency has recorded 139 assaults.
In February, more than 23,000 migrants were apprehended by the Border Patrol in the Tucson Sector. Naco Station is one of nine in the sector. February’s apprehension numbers rose slightly from January’s 20,200 encounters, as reported exclusively by Breitbart Texas.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.