Two U.S. Border Patrol agents and a Mexican child were injured in what appears to have been a boating accident along the Rio Grande River on the Texas border with Mexico. While the case remains under investigation and the information is preliminary in nature, two agents on a boat had been conducting routine patrols around Anzalduas Park when a Mexican boat abruptly turned into the path of the U.S. border patrol boat causing a collision, said RGV Sector Chief Kevin Oaks during a news conference that Breitbart Texas attended.
The collision caused the two agents to be ejected from the boat and landing into the water with one of the agents flying over both vessels before hitting the water with enough force to cause head trauma, said Acting Chief Deputy JR Villarreal during the news conference.
Just after the crash, a Texas Department of Public Safety boat moved in to help one of the agents out of the water and to fight off a man in Mexico who had been throwing rocks at the agents.
“The vessel deployed less lethal measures,” Villarreal said during the conference.
While both agents remain in stable condition, one of the agents suffered a broken leg and will need to undergo surgery. A little later a Mexican family arrived at the Anzalduas International Bridge requesting medical attention claiming to have been aboard the Mexican fishing boat. Preliminary information points to a 9-year-old boy being injured in the crash, his condition was not known, Villarreal said.
As Breitbart Texas previously reported, the area immediately south of Anzalduas Park is a popular park visited by various families but it is also used by human smugglers who use jet-skis to bring illegal immigrants across.
During the news conference Breitbart Texas asked Villarreal if the boat involved in the collision was involved in any illicit activity or if other vessels involved in illicit activity may have played a role in the crash.
“The matter is still under investigation but as of now we don’t have any information that shows the boat was involved illicit activity,” Villarreal said.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.