A man who authorities say was involved in a smuggling operation was shot Tuesday in an exchange of gunfire with the U.S. Border Patrol and after firing at a federal helicopter near the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said.
Federal agents were attempting to apprehend the 34-year-old Arizona man near Arivaca — about 30 miles south of Tucson — when he shot at a Border Patrol helicopter and at agents, the FBI said. Agents returned fire, striking the man and wounding him, the FBI said.
The man was transported to a hospital and was recovering from surgery Tuesday evening, authorities said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the FBI asked it to lead a use-of-force investigation of the Border Patrol. It noted that such investigations are standard when a federal agency is involved in a shooting in the county.
FBI special agent Heith Janke said the suspect, Patrick Gary Schlegel, has a criminal history that includes a December warrant for escape stemming from a smuggling conviction. On Dec. 15, Schlegel signed out of the institution where he had been incarcerated, Dismas Charities in Tucson, to go to a counseling session but did not return, court records show.
Hagle was in federal custody and is expected to be charged with assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling and felon in possession of a firearm, Janke said.
The Santa Rita Fire District said its personnel responded to a shooting around 7:30 a.m. and transported an unidentified person who was in critical condition.
In the afternoon, a pickup truck with black tanks and an orange water jug in its bed was sandwiched by construction tape in the area of the shooting.
"Anytime that there is a shooting involving federal agents, the FBI gets involved, and us because we are a local agency have been called in to assist," Pima County Sheriff Department spokesperson Angelica Carrillo said. "This is in the very early stages because there are so many different agencies involved it could take a little bit of time, we’re working to get some more information about how this started and what happened."
Carrillo said the Sheriff’s Department may conduct what she called a parallel investigation in addition to the federal one.
No video of the incident so far
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the FBI had asked it to “lead the use-of-force investigation involving the agent.” It noted that such investigations are standard when a federal agency is involved in a shooting in the county.
“We ask the community to remain patient and understanding as this investigation moves forward,” the department said in a statement.
The area is a common path for drug smugglers and migrants who illegally cross the border, so agents regularly patrol there.
The shooting comes in a month that has seen three shootings — two fatal — by immigration officers involved in the massive Department of Homeland Security enforcement operation in Minnesota.
While there were numerous videos of those shootings taken by residents monitoring the enforcement operations in the Minneapolis area, the latest shooting in Arizona happened in a community of about 500 people apparently without any bystander video of the incident.
The sheriff department said its involvement in the investigation was the result of “long standing relationships” built over time in the border area to promote transparency.
Sheriff Chris Nanos, a Democrat, has previously said his agency will not enforce federal immigration law amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown and that he will use his limited resources to focus on local crime and other public safety issues.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to emails and telephone calls seeking more information.
Border Patrol agents fired weapons in eight incidents during the 12-month period through September 2025, 14 times during the year before that and 13 times the year before that.
-
Appointed by George W. Bush, Judge Richard Leon in D.C. ruled last week that granting an injunction is “unwarranted” — writing he expects the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will “follow through on its guarantees of consultation.” -
Humane Borders maintains water stations in Arizona’s vast desert borderland and also works with the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office to document migrant deaths. -
The American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its bid to block enforcement of a new law that lets state and local police arrest some border crossers. -
Leadership clarified that non-members — including employees or residents, guests of tribal members, travelers on public roadways and vendors tied to the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise — may still travel freely “without any restrictions.” -
Since last year, the Trump administration has awarded billions of dollars in construction contracts for its so-called Smart Wall, and work has been ongoing for months in various parts of Arizona.
