Agent fires round at smugglers

Imperial Valley Press ^ | October 16, 2006 | Darren Simon

[Ajnin]

CALEXICO — A U.S. Border Patrol agent fired once at a group of suspected smugglers as the group reportedly attempted to assault another agent along the New River, officials said today.

No one was wounded in the shooting, Border Patrol said. One Border Patrol agent suffered an injured knee when he fell while trying to back away from the smugglers who were throwing rocks and running at the agent, officials said.

The case occurred about 5 p.m. Friday near the old Vons facility in the western portion of Calexico.

Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Lloyd Frers said two agents were working the area, one on each side of the river as they followed a group of undocumented immigrants.

As the group came up on a river gate installed to stop immigrants from making their way farther north, a group of six climbed out of the river on the west side.

Those six confronted the lone agent on the west side.

“They began throwing rocks at the agent,” Frers said, adding they started running at the agent. Frers said the agent was trying to keep some distance from the group when that agent fell.

At that time the agent working the east side of the river fired one round at the group. Frers said it was not a warning shot, stating the Border Patrol doesn’t fire warning shots. The agent fired at the group but missed. Meanwhile, Frers said, the other immigrants in the river climbed out on the east side, made their way around the gate and re-entered the river north of the gate.

The six who had attempted to assault the agent also made their way back into the river, Frers said. The group fled farther into the county as the agent who fired the round moved to the west side to help the fallen agent.

Frers said there were no arrests in the case and there was no information on what became of the immigrants.

The agent who was injured was treated at a local hospital and later released.

Asked what leads authorities to think all six who climbed out and confronted that agent were smugglers, Frers said that is how smugglers operate.

He said those who are being smuggled into the county typically do not resort to violence, but smugglers will.

“That’s what they are getting paid for,” Frers said.

[Dead Corpse]

Nice selection...

[absolootezer0]

yeah, those ARs sometimes really impress me with how accurate they are. i have a rock river with a wilson 20" heavy barrel that often shoots better than my remington 700.

[Dead Corpse]

Out to about 300 yrds, they'd be pretty "neck and neck" as far as holding MOA. Beyond that, I'd give the nod to the 700. Especially in .308 flavor. .223 is just too light to hold groups beyond that even if you can still hit a man sized target with it at 500yrds.

I'd still like to step up to a 1000yrd platform. .338 Lapua magnum or a .50 BMG. Maybe some day.... ;-)

[absolootezer0]

i'm comparing it to my 700 that's also .223.
but to go out to 1000, .223 isn't too light, its too slow. there's a whole bunch of stuff thats 22cal that is much better at distance using the same .224 diameter bullets as a .223 does. there's also some 6mm stuff at the same weights that'll reach way out too.

[archy]

Here is one solution...the Barrett 50 cal sniper rifle

The Zetas have access to Barrett M82A1's too:

[School of Rational Thought]

"As the group came up on a river gate installed to stop immigrants from making their way farther north, a group ..."

What would immigrants being doing there? They more likely would be illegal aliens or smugglers.