One Border Patrol Agent has been killed and another wounded in Arizona according to Homeland Security.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and another wounded in a shooting near the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
The agents were shot while patrolling in Naco, Ariz., at about 1:50 a.m. MST Tuesday, according to the Border Patrol. The wounded agent was airlifted to a hospital after being shot in the ankle and buttocks, according to Homeland Security.
Authorities have not identified the agents who were assigned to the Naco, Ariz., station about 100 miles southeast of Tucson.
The last U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot on duty was Brian Terry, who was killed in a shootout with Mexican bandits near the border in December 2010.
The Naco Border Patrol Station was recently named after Brian Terry and the area is known for extremely dangerous Mexican drug cartel activity.
An FBI source has confirmed to Townhall there is a concern the weapons used today are linked to Operation Fast and Furious. We will update as more information becomes available.
UPDATE: Senator Charles Grassley has released a statement:
“Border Patrol agents put their lives on the line every day to stop the border crossers and drug cartel members who venture illegally into the United States. There’s no way to know at this point how the agent was killed, but because of Operation Fast and Furious, we’ll wonder for years if the guns used in any killing along the border were part of an ill-advised gunwalking strategy sanctioned by the federal government. It’s a sad commentary. We all mourn for the Border Patrol agent who was killed near the border station named after another fallen hero and fellow agent, Brian Terry.”
UPDATE II: Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa has released a statement:
“This shooting is a tragic reminder of the dangers the brave men and women who guard our borders face every day. Just last month, I attended a ceremony with agents based at the Bisbee station naming it in honor of their fallen colleague, Brian Terry. My prayers are with the family of the agent who lost his life today and his wounded colleague.
“Authorities must investigate the full circumstances of this shooting. I urge everyone to think of the families of these agents and avoid drawing conclusions before relevant facts are known.”
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