Courts and Police

Yuma border agent dragged into canal
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Jan 17, 2007

A Yuma Border Patrol agent was pulled into neck-deep water during an attempted apprehension Tuesday night near Andrade.

It was at least the third time within the past 12 months where an agent was either pulled into water or attempted to be pulled into water, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Chris Van Wagenen.

Around 8:15 p.m., a suspected smuggling vehicle exited onto State Route 186 and was attempting to head westbound on Interstate 8 when border agents spotted the vehicle.

Once the driver realized that he was spotted, he spun the vehicle around to head south toward the U.S. Port of Entry at Andrade.

The agent deployed a spike strip, which successfully deflated the vehicle's tires and stopped the pursuit near the All American Canal.

The three male subjects exited the vehicle and jumped into the canal.

As the agent approached the canal, one of the men grabbed the agent and pulled him into the water.

The agent used a collapsible steel baton and struck the attacker in the arm — but the suspected illegal immigrant swam into deeper water and fled across the canal.

The agent found footprints leading from the canal back into Mexico.

The agent was not injured, and Mexican authorities were alerted that the individual may have sustained injuries as a result of the incident.

CBP does not release agents' names to protect their safety.

"He is understandably a little shook up," Van Wagenen said. "He is back (at work) and actually very happy that it worked out as well as it did."

He said that since Agent Jim Epling died in the Colorado River in pursuit of four suspected illegal immigrants in December 2003, "a lot of our guys are still very hypersensitive about being in the water."

"You take very big precautions ... even then, we are still trying to do our job to the best of our ability."

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