Juarez City.- The Office of Customs and Border Protection of the United States (CBP, for its acronym in English) confirmed this Sunday that it was two of its agents who, feeling threatened, fired yesterday at the white Suburban truck, whose driver fled to Mexico when they tried to inspect it.
The US authority did not confirm that the driver or the occupants of the vehicle with Mexican license plates from the State of Chihuahua were armed when driving from El Paso to Ciudad Juárez through the Córdova-De las Américas International Bridge, as it emerged yesterday.
The incident occurred at 5:11 in the afternoon, when the agents carried out inspections in the south lane of the vehicles that were traveling to Mexico through the so-called “Free Bridge”.
“While attempting to search a vehicle, a driver made a sudden movement, at which point officers perceived a threat to themselves and fired on the driver who fled the search area at high speed and crossed into Mexico. It is unknown if the driver or the occupants of the vehicle were injured by the shots. Two CBP officers fired their weapons during the incident,” the US spokesman reported.
He added that the incident is being reviewed by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), and once the review is complete, it will be submitted to CBP’s National Use of Force Review Board (NUFRB).
Users of the international crossing reported that between seven and eight shots were heard, and that the driver of the truck with Mexican license plates from the State of Chihuahua fled to Mexico through the lane of cargo trucks.
It was said that the driver of the Chevrolet Suburban truck with license plates EKT-49-59, who has already been identified by local authorities, was carrying a 50-millimeter caliber rifle; however, this has not been confirmed by US authorities.
The agents of the Municipal Public Security Secretariat (SSPM), in collaboration with the US authorities, deployed a special operation to locate the truck that was involved, which was located today parked in the Catalán neighborhood.
His discovery occurred at the intersection of Zempoala and Calzada del Parque streets, “so the corresponding authority was immediately notified to carry out the pertinent investigations. Likewise, the Municipal Public Security Secretariat will continue with the work to find the whereabouts of the driver of said insured vehicle,” reported the local authority.
Elements of the National Guard and the Municipal Police came to the place to protect it.