Border Patrol has adopted a culture that values military-style policing over de-escalation and preservation of human life. Since 2010, at least 20 people has been a victim of border agent’s excessive use of force. SBCC has tracked these injuries based on media coverage of these incidents.
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
2017
1 Injured
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21. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Shooting
Incident Date: May 17, 2017
Incident Location: Tucson, Arizona
2016
2 Injured
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20. Jorge Delgado
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Hit and run
Incident Date: February 1, 2016
Incident Location: Hialeah, Florida
Border Patrol
19. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Shooting
Incident Date: January 25, 2016
Incident Location: Near the Arizona-New Mexico state border
Border Patrol agent opened fire on a man on the morning of January 25, 2016. The man was flown to a hospital by life flight.
2015
1 Injured
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18. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Shooting
Incident Date: February 18, 2015
Incident Location: Japatul Valley Road in Alpine, San Diego, CA
Border Patrol agents opened fire on a man during a pursuit on the night of February 18, 2015. The driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and released to the custody of the Border Patrol.
2014
8 injured
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17. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Mexican
Incident: Shooting
Incident Date: October 2, 2014
Incident Location: Near Escobares, TX
Cross-border incident. Not covered by media. CBP sends following statement to NGOs: BORDER PATROL RESPONDS TO ROCK THROWERS ALONG RIO GRANDE. Several south Texas news organizations, including the McAllen Monitor, Telemundo (local) and Estrella TV contacted CBP regarding a shooting incident along the Rio Grande.
16. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: USC/tribal member
Incident: Kidnapped and assualted
Incident Date: March 31, 2014
Incident Location: San Miguel, tribal port of entry on Tohono O’odham Nation (AZ)
Same incident described above.
15. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: USC/tribal member
Incident: Kidnapped and assualted
Incident Date: March 31, 2014
Incident Location: San Miguel, tribal port of entry on Tohono O’odham Nation (AZ)
According to KVOA, a U.S. Border Patrol agent working on the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation opened fire after a U.S. citizen tried to ram him with a truck.The incident began about 12:15 a.m., near the San Miguel Gate. The agent was standing outside his marked vehicle when the driver of the truck charged at him. The agent opened fire, injuring two of the three people in the truck. The injured tribal members were transported to a local hospital. The agent did not sustain life-threatening injuries and is on paid administrative leave, which is standard in cases where agents fire their weapons.
14. Mother, daughter and teen girls [Names not released]
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Honduran
Incident: Kidnapped and assaulted
Incident Date: March 12, 2014
Incident Location: Near Abram, TX and Mission, TX
Same as above, other teen.
13. Mother, daughter and teen girls [Names not released]
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Honduran
Incident: Kidnapped and assaulted
Incident Date: March 12, 2014
Incident Location: Near Abram, TX and Mission, TX
Same as above, teen daughter.
12. Mother, daughter and teen girls [Names not released]
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Honduran
Incident: Kidnapped and assaulted
Incident Date: March 12, 2014
Incident Location: Near Abram, TX and Mission, TX
Texas border agent kidnapped, assaulted three illegal immigrants from Honduras before killing self. Esteban Manzanares, 32, was on duty when he came across the woman and two teens, who were attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. They were surrendering when Manzanares kidnapped and assaulted them before shooting himself.
NOTE: BP agent commits suicide.
11. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Mexican
Incident: Beaten
Incident Date: Jan. 30, 2014
Incident Location: Nogales, Arizona
AP published a story October 2, 2014 about a Border Patrol agent begin charged with aggravated assault after punching a minor in a Border Patrol station in Southern Arizona, eight months after it happened. On October 3, CBP confirmed via email that a Mr. Aldo Arteaga is being charged with aggravated assault and is on administrative leave. He is 35 years old and entered on duty on 2/14/05. He is a GS-1896-12 Border Patrol Agent.
10. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Beaten
Incident Date: Jan. 13, 2014
Incident Location: Temecula, CA
A BP agent pulled over a van in Temecula, Calif. Two of the four men inside were in the country without authorization. BP said in a statement that, as the agent moved in to arrest one of the men, the man punched the agent. The agent then tried to subdue him with a Taser but the man continued resisting. The driver of the van took cell phone footage. BP’s statement doesn’t reflect the details in the video. The agent is kneeling over the shirtless man lying on the ground. Another man is holding on to the subject’s legs. The BP agent punches him repeatedly with short jabs.
Eyewitness video:
2013
4 Injured
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9. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: Nov. 12, 2013
Incident Location: Chula Vista, CA
An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent opened fire on someone outside a South Bay pharmacy (Rite Aid), after which the targeted person fled in unknown condition. There was no immediate evidence that the gunfire wounded anyone, though the person the federal officer apparently shot at drove away immediately afterward and remained at large. It was unclear what led to the shooting. The involved agent remained at the scene and was being questioned by police.
8. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: October 23, 2013
Incident Location: Laredo, TX
Same incident as above.
7. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: October 23, 2013
Incident Location: Laredo, TX
A Border Patrol agent shot and wounded two immigrants after he was assaulted. According to a news article, agents came across a group of immigrants who had recently crossed the Rio Grande near a train yard along the river east of Laredo’s downtown. One of the agent was assaulted as he tried apprehend the immigrants, and he opened fire, hitting two of them. An agent and two individuals were taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries.
6. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: June 5, 2013
Incident Location: Just south of Hebbronville, TX
Agent shot at suspect vehicle when the driver made a U-turn and drove directly at him. Driver sustained non-life threatening injuries.
2012
3 Injured
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5. Unknown
Age: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Cause of Death: Survived shooting
Incident Date: December 4, 2012
Incident Location: South of Gila Bend, AZ
An unidentified man was shot and injured when Border Patrol agents reportedly checked out “possible bandit activity” and encountered “two armed men.”
4. Miscarriage of Laura Mireles
Age: Mother age 32
Nationality: US
Cause of Miscarriage: Physical abuse
Incident Date: 11-5-2012
Incident Location: Brownsville, Texas
Laura Mireles was driving across the international bridge from Mexico to the US when was she was stopped and questioned in a parking lot in the U.S. by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent identified only in court documents as Riano. He questioned why she bypassed the x-ray machines for the vehicles when she crossed the border. According to federal court papers, she stayed 10-15 feet away from the agent and only inched closer to watch the agent search her purse. He threw her on the ground, leaned on her with his full weight and threatened to hit her with an object. Mireles, who is also disabled and has visible malformations on her hands and feet, was handcuffed with such force that the fire department had to be called to remove them. That day she lost her unborn child.
3. Hugo Veytia-Quintero
Age: 47
Nationality: Mexican
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: Sept. 25, 2011
Incident Location: San Diego port of entry, CA
Survived after being shot by CBP officials after pulling a fake gun and waving it into the air. Veyta-Quintero had walked through a pedestrian crossing turnstile to enter the U.S. from Mexico without stopping to be processed. CBP agents attempted to handcuff him when he pulled the fake gun out of his belt.
2011
1 Injured
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2. Jose Gutierrez Guzman
Age: 41
Nationality: Mexican
Incident: Tased and beaten into a comatose state
Incident Date: March 30, 2011
Incident Location: San Luis Port of Entry, AZ
Longtime L.A. resident brought to the U.S. as a child; tased into a comatose state during an incident while being deported. Officers claim they tased him because he became combative but offered no evidence of this.
2010
1 Injured
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1. Jesus Enrique Castro Romo
Age: 30
Nationality: Mexican
Incident: Survived shooting
Incident Date: Nov. 16, 2010
Incident Location: Santa Cruz County, AZ
Survived shooting by a Border Patrol agent after crossing into the U.S. as part of a group of undocumented immigrants. The group decided to return to Mexico after seeing Border Patrol agents on horseback, but was then detected by patrol. Romo made a “short attempt to flee” but then stopped and surrendered. After he surrendered, Romo was hit by the agent and then shot.