Naco, Arizona Shooting: Border Patrol Agent Killed, At Least 1 Injured

Border Patrol Agent Killed In Arizona Shooting
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents gather along the International border Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 near Naco, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents gather along the International border Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 near Naco, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Two U.S. Border Patrol Agents were shot, one fatally, in a morning gunfight in southern Arizona, according to Fox News.

The names of the agents were not immediately known, but the shootout occurred near a station in Naco.

More from the Associated Press:

PHOENIX — A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and another wounded in a shooting early Tuesday in Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico line, according to the Border Patrol.

The agents were shot while patrolling on horseback in Naco, Ariz., at about 1:50 a.m. MST Tuesday, the Border Patrol said in a statement.

The agents who were shot were on patrol with a third agent, who was not harmed, according to George McCubbin, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing about 17,000 border patrol agents.

The shooting occurred after an alarm was triggered on one of the many sensors along the border and the three agents went to investigate, said Cochise County Sheriff's spokeswoman Carol Capas.

Authorities have not identified any suspects, Capas said. It is not known whether the agents returned fire, she said.

The wounded agent was airlifted to a hospital after being shot in the ankle and buttocks, the Border Patrol said. He is in surgery and expected to recover, McCubbin said.

Authorities have not identified the agents who were assigned to the Naco station, about 100 miles southeast of Tucson.

The last U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot on duty was Brian Terry, who was killed in a shootout with Mexican bandits near the border in December 2010. The shooting was later linked to the Fast and Furious gun smuggling operation.

The border patrol station in Naco was recently named after Terry.

The FBI, which also is investigating the shooting, did not immediately return calls Tuesday.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

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