AGENT FIRED AT WHILE CHASING ALLEGED DRUG SMUGGLERS

Shooting Near Fabens Is 2nd Against Border Patrol In 2 Months

U.S. law enforcement officials are investigating a shooting attack
Wednesday against El Paso Border Patrol agents who surprised a group of
drug smugglers west of the Fabens border crossing, said Jerry Armstrong,
deputy chief Border Patrol agent.

"The FBI and the Mexican authorities are working with us on the
investigation," Armstrong said. "We also plan to meet with other U.S. and
Mexican officials and with Juarez police to come up with ways to protect
our agents and other people in the border against such attacks in the future."

Two Border Patrol agents in separate vehicles were patrolling about seven
miles west of the Fabens crossing at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when one of them
spotted a suspicious car. The agents were responding to a report that a
vehicle had crossed the border illegally.

The driver of the car, a Dodge Dynasty, saw the agents approaching and
tried to return to Mexico. The driver then abandoned the car and fled on
foot to Mexico. Pursued by agents, the first driver ran past a group of six
men who were on the U.S. side by the river levee, officials said.

"These men were mules," or drug smugglers, Armstrong said.

Suddenly, one of the agents heard a loud noise while he was chasing the men
in his vehicle, and he did not realize until later that his rear side
windows had been shot out. All the smuggling suspects got away.

"The agents are all right, and they are back on the job," Armstrong said.

When the agents seized the Dodge, they also found 219 pounds of marijuana
and a two-way radio. The marijuana, with a street value of $175,000, was
turned over to the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.

The area where the incident occurred is a ranching community opposite El
Millon, which U.S. anti-drug officials have said is a stronghold of drug
trafficking.

Drug seizures in the Fabens zone indicate that smuggling is increasing,
Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier said. From Oct. 1, 2001, to Jan. 30,
agents made 78 drug seizures having a combined street value of $15 million,
he said.

"The Fabens area has been the site of similar aggravated assaults in recent
months, due in part to the success of Border Patrol agents in intercepting
narcotics loads originating in Mexico," Mosier said.

This is the second time in less than two months that drug-smuggling
suspects have fired at Border Patrol agents around El Paso. On Dec. 5,
someone shot at agents twice from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near
West Paisano Drive. No one was hurt.

Three men were arrested in that incident in connection with the seizure of
158 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $126,000. The
person or persons who fired the shots weren't caught.