FBI investigates Texas border shooting

U.S. authorities investigating a Saturday morning shooting along the Texas-Mexico border said one person was deceased when they were taken to a hospital in Mexico shortly after the incident.

It was unclear if the person, described as a 29-year-old male, was involved in the shooting, but some claim the man was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a statement Tuesday recalling “two dangerous encounters.”

In one instance, an unidentified individual threw rocks at a border agent. The agent “fired his service weapon in defense” when he was unable to take cover, the statement said.

At about the same time, another agent said he saw a person aim a weapon at him and he, too, fired his gun in defense, the statement said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incidents. Mexico has been notified by the encounters and calls them a disproportionate use of force.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said late Sunday that a citizen had been killed by a gunshot fired by a U.S. agent at the Los Tomates-Veterans international bridge. It did not identify the victim or provide details about the incident. Mexico said its consulate in Brownsville had sent U.S. authorities a message demanding an exhaustive investigation without regard to the consequences.

"The Mexican government has said once again that the disproportionate use of force for purposes of immigration enforcement is unacceptable under any circumstances," the Foreign Ministry said.

Juana Maria Soto of Matamoros said her brother, 30-year-old Juan Pablo Perez Soto, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning. She said she had received little information, but she believes her brother was on the Mexican river bank cutting firewood and said she understood that the agent crossed to the Mexican side to shoot him.

Border Patrol spokesman Henry Mendiola said Monday that the incident remains under investigation and they have not confirmed that someone was shot, but he disputed any suggestion that agents crossed the border into Mexico.

"Our agents are not going to go into Mexico to neutralize something like this," Mendiola said.

He said Border Patrol agents came upon a group of people on the U.S. side Saturday morning. They detained some while others retreated toward the river and began throwing rocks.

One agent who was not able to escape the rocks fired toward the group, Mendiola said. At the same time, another agent at the scene saw a person across the river in Mexico point a rifle toward them. That agent fired across the river, Mendiola said.

Soto said her 14-year-old son was one of those detained by Border Patrol. She has not been able to speak with him, but said the Mexican Consulate told her he was unharmed.

Mendiola said several people had been taken into custody but that he could not provide details about the suspects or charges they face.

Border Patrol agents seizing 4,000 pounds of marijuana in March got into a shootout with drug smugglers. In that incident, it also was not known whether anyone on the Mexican side was hit.

Last summer, authorities said Border Patrol agents and rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety exchanged about 300 rounds of gunfire with suspected drug smugglers. Officials said the suspects threw rocks at U.S. lawmen in that incident, too.

In 2010, a Border Patrol agent in El Paso shot and killed a 15-year-old Mexican boy across the Rio Grande. Investigators say the agent fired after being attacked by people throwing rocks.

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