The man shot by a Border Patrol agent Monday is in stable condition at a Tucson hospital, the agency said.
Tucson Sector agents tracked a vehicle they suspected of smuggling narcotics across the border from Mexico, the Border Patrol said in a statement Tuesday. Agents found a truck loaded with about 2,340 pounds of marijuana stuck in the mud near Rodeo, New Mexico.
Two suspects fled the scene and ran into mountainous terrain near the Arizona state line east of Apache. An agent caught one of the suspects and during the ensuing struggle the suspect assaulted the agent, the Border Patrol said. The agent shot the suspect with his service-issued firearm.
Agents contacted emergency medical personnel. The agent was treated for minor injuries and the suspect was flown to a Tucson hospital, the Border Patrol said.
The second suspect was arrested without incident. Both suspects remain in federal custody. Per CBP policy, the agent is on administrative leave.
Contact Curt Prendergast at cprendergast@tucson.com or 573-4224. On Twitter: @CurtTucsonStar.
Curt Prendergast
Editor
