A Border Patrol agent died in the line of duty on Wednesday while pursuing a group of illegal migrants.
"Acting Deputy Commissioner [Benjamine] Huffman, Chief [Raul] Ortiz and I regret to inform you of the passing of a Border Patrol agent assigned the McAllen Station this morning," read an email from acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller, that Just the News obtained.
"The agent was patrolling the international boundary at approximately 1 a.m. on an all-terrain vehicle and tracking a group of individuals which illegally crossed the border when he was involved in an accident near Mission, Texas," he continued. Miller did not specify the nature of the accident.
"He was found unresponsive by fellow agents who immediately initiated life-saving efforts and requested emergency medical services. The agent was taken to an area hospital by ambulance where he later passed away. Additional information will be shared when available," he went on. The agent's identity remains unknown as of press time.
"The death of an agent while performing their duties and securing our borders is a loss that is felt throughout our agency and our nation," Miller concluded.
The nation has witnessed an unprecedented surge in illegal migration the past few years, with roughly 2.4 million crossing the border in fiscal year 2022 and nearly 4 million doing so since President Joe Biden took office. With that has come record drug trafficking operations, including increasingly large shipments of the highly potent narcotic fentanyl.
Border authorities are unable to keep up with the rise in traffic, prompting the Biden administration to turn to other federal agencies for extra manpower. The Department of Homeland Security has attempted to redeploy air marshals to the southern border to assist with the crisis, but has faced resistance from the agency, with many vowing to refuse the order at the risk of termination.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has born the brunt of the criticism for the government's handling of immigration issues. While GOP Senators have recently expressed hesitance to impeach him over disagreements on policy, several lawmakers have demanded his resignation and leaked emails have revealed considerable frustration with him among the rank and file border agents.
