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Details Sketchy in Federal Agent's Shooting of Illegal Migrant

A Border Patrol agent shot an illegal migrant in the desert on the Mexican border, Tuesday morning. The FBI is investigating.

KJZZ's Michel Marizco reports.

A federal agent on horse patrol in a remote area near the Nogales border Tuesday morning, shot a Mexican national in the abdomen.

The Border Patrol has given no information saying that the case is under investigation by the FBI.

But, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada gave this account:

TONY ESTRADA: "They came across about 12 undocumented aliens. They scattered, they fled. Somehow, somewhere along the line, one of them got knocked down by one of the horses. After that, there was a shot fired by one of the agents. A 30-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, was struck in the abdomen."

Sheriff's detectives did not find any weapons or drugs on the illegal migrants.

Border Patrol-involved shootings are very rare. This is one of the first in nearly a year.

In Tucson, I'm Michel Marizco.

Fronteras Desk senior editor Michel Marizco is an award-winning investigative reporter based in Flagstaff.