Border Patrol kills man allegedly robbing, threatening illegal immigrants

A U.S. Border Patrol marksman fatally shot a man who was part of a group robbing illegal immigrants on the California side of the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego, officials said.

The agent who shot the man last week was a member of the elite U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit, officials said Thursday.

The incident occurred early last Sunday morning when a group of illegal immigrants walking on a paved road were approached by four people, at least one of whom had a handgun, according to witnesses. 

"The armed individual demanded money from the group, racked his pistol to chamber a round, and pointed the weapon at one of the migrants," witnesses told Border Patrol investigators. "Then the migrants heard a single gunshot and observed the armed individual fall to the ground."

Tactical unit agents recounted a similar version of events, officials said. 

Agents reported shots fired around 7 a.m. local time, and medical professionals arrived on the scene about 15 minutes later to treat the man who was shot. Investigators also discovered a handgun near the man, who was pronounced dead about an hour and 15 minutes after being shot. 

An autopsy report by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is still pending, but the man was identified as a 32-year-old Mexican citizen.

Officials apprehended 17 illegal immigrants in the area after the incident, and the three potentially armed individuals fled the area into Mexico.

Several reports of armed robberies have been made in connection to the area where the incident occurred. 

Border Patrol's confirmation of a shooting comes following a report from Fox News about a bandit being killed in the same area on the same day last week.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.