Immigration

CBP Agent Slain In Sea Confrontation With Suspected Smugglers

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Two Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents were hurt and one was killed as a result of a shooting incident with suspected smugglers off Puerto Rico’s coast Thursday morning, the agency revealed.

Three CBP Marine Interdiction Agents agents were shot in a gunfire exchange with two people on a suspected smuggling vessel at about 8 a.m., CBP said in a statement sent to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The incident reportedly happened around 14 miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

“The agents were airlifted by Coast Guard to the Puerto Rico Trauma Center and to a Mayaguez Hospital,” CBP stated. “One of the occupants of the vessel died on the scene and the other was arrested. One Marine Interdiction agent died from the injuries.”

The shootout was first reported by the Washington Examiner.

The deceased agent was identified as Michel Maceda in an internal CBP email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A different Marine Interdiction crew intercepted a vessel with two U.S. citizens aboard later Thursday morning, finding contraband and guns inside, CBP told the DCNF. The two citizens were reportedly arrested.

Dozens of CBP personnel have died in the past two years. Officer Jorge Arias reportedly succumbed to injuries from a training accident last month.

Jennie Taer contributed this report.