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Border Patrol In Arizona Reports Second Shooting In A Week

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Border Patrol In Arizona Reports Second Shooting In A Week

Border Patrol In Arizona Reports Second Shooting In A Week

TUCSON, Ariz. -- In the second incident in a week, a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona discharged his weapon on the border.

According to Customs and Border Protection officials, the unidentified Yuma Sector agent and others were responding to possible bandit activity near the Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 85, the Arizona highway that stretches from Lukeville to Phoenix.

The agency does not say what prompted the shooting, stating only, "Agents encountered two armed individuals and at least one agent discharged his weapon. One individual was wounded."

The wounded man was flown to a Phoenix-area hospital and treated for gunshot wounds. He is in stable condition. The second person is an illegal immigrant from Mexico and is in the custody of the Homeland Security Department.

CBP reported that agents recovered two weapons, an assault rifle and a handgun. The FBI is investigating the case.

The agency has declined to release any information yet of the shooting that occurred near Sasabe, Ariz. on Sunday night. In that incident, CBP said the agent killed a man as they were involved in a physical altercation.

The killing Sunday was the third death in the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector since Oct. 2 when agent Nicholas Ivie was killed during a friendly fire incident in Cochise County.

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