U.S. Customs and Border Protection released information Thursday about a Mexican shooting that left five migrants wounded before they crossed the Rio Grande early Monday morning near Hidalgo.
“On October 4, at approximately 12:39 a.m., Border Patrol agents from the McAllen Station responded to illegal activity near Hidalgo, Texas and encountered 11 migrants,” a news release from the agency stated. “The five migrants suffering gunshot wounds sustained in Mexico, prior to their entry into the U.S. were immediately provided lifesaving treatment by agents before emergency medical assistance was requested. Hidalgo Police Department officers arrived on scene as well, as the migrants were transported to a local hospital.”
No one died as a result of their injuries, according to a Border Patrol spokesperson. Some of their injuries required surgery and some also met with specialists.
The agency offered no other details or preliminary information about what happened in Mexico before the migrants crossed the Rio Grande.
An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the shooting, the agency added.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Brian S. Hastings said the encounter serves “as yet another reminder of the dangers migrants face when they place their well-being in the hands of smugglers who are only interested in turning a profit.”
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