A U.S. Border Patrol agent near Alpine, Texas, was assaulted when a person who was part of a group of undocumented migrants bit his hand, officials said.
Agents were investigating a campfire about 3 a.m. Tuesday near a roadside park on Highway 118 South near Alpine when they discovered three migrants illegally in the U.S., Border Patrol officials said.
One of the migrants became aggressive with the agents, authorities said. The migrant, whose name was not released, bit an agent on the hand and struck another agent on the side, officials said.
The agents subdued the suspect, while the other two migrants were taken into custody without incident.
The migrant who assaulted the agents was taken to a hospital to be evaluated and was later released, officials said.
The agent was treated for a bite wound to the hand and was released from the hospital.
Agents found “a large fixed blade knife” in the area where the migrant who assaulted the agent had been lying down, officials said.
An investigation revealed that the aggressive migrant, who is a native of El Salvador, had previously been deported July 2 in New York, officials said.
The assault remains under investigation. The migrant is in federal custody pending criminal prosecution, officials said.
“Acts of violence towards our agents will not be tolerated,” U.S. Border Patrol Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said in a statement. “This incident is an example of the blatant disregard for the law and a reminder vigilance can never wane when it comes to the safety of our agents and, in turn, the general public.”
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© 2019 the El Paso Times
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