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There Are More Details About the CBP Shooting That Happened Along the AZ-Mexico Border Yesterday

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  January 28, 2026 6:00 AM

Jeff had the initial story yesterday, but we have new details regarding what led to a man along the Arizona-Mexico border being shot by federal immigration officers. As if things involving federal immigration officers couldn’t get any wilder this month, this police action didn't involve white leftists creating mayhem, but a human smuggling suspect, who went bananas when he found out he was going to be the subject of an investigation by Border Patrol. 

This incident is not going to cause a riot, as we’ve seen in Minneapolis, but Border Patrol shot a man who tried to evade federal authorities, even daring to take off in a helicopter, before being taken down. The suspect is in critical condition. The man was accused of being involved in smuggling (via NYT):

An Arizona man was in critical condition after exchanging gunfire with a U.S. Border Patrol agent and shooting at a federal helicopter on Tuesday in Arizona near the Mexican border, the authorities said.

Border Patrol agents were working to apprehend a male suspect in an “active alien smuggling matter” when he shot at a federal helicopter, Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s Phoenix field office, said during a news conference late Tuesday afternoon. Federal agents returned fire and shot the suspect, Mr. Janke said. No federal agents were injured.

Teams from the Santa Rita Fire District of Green Valley, Ariz., and American Medical Response, which provides emergency medical services, were dispatched to the reported shooting around milepost 15 on West Arivaca Road, just after 7:30 a.m., the fire district said in an emailed statement. 

Crews found “one patient in custody and in critical condition,” and provided medical care before the patient was airlifted to a regional trauma center, the fire district said. The federal agent involved in the shooting also rendered aid for the man, Mr. Janke said.

NewsNation’s Ali Bradley added, “sources tell me Border Patrol agents encountered a suspected smuggling vehicle yesterday—The driver failed to stop when agents attempted to pull them over—Then agents encountered the vehicle again today, when they tried to stop it, the driver bailed and ran, firing shots at agents. Agents returned fire, hitting the suspect. The suspect was transported to the hospital.” 

Nice work, CBP. 

Here's Jeff's story from yesterday.