Border Patrol Officers Injured in Puerto Rico, One Killed in Gunfight with Suspected Narcos off Puerto Rican Coast

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer stands outside an enclosure where Central American migrants are being held after crossing the border between Mexico and the United States illegally and turning themselves in to request asylum, in El Paso, Texas, March 27, 2019. (Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)

Multiple U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were injured in a gunfight Thursday as they attempted to board a suspected smuggling boat off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Five U.S. border agents with CBP’s Air and Marine Operations arm were shot, including one fatally, by what are presumed to be drug dealers 14 miles off the coast of northwestern Puerto Rico, CBP sources told the Washington Examiner.

“On Nov. 17, at approximately 8:00AM, three CBP Marine Interdiction Agents were involved in an exchange of gunfire with individuals on board a suspected smuggling vessel upon approach 14 miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo Puerto Rico. The Marine Agents suffered various gunshot injuries as a result,” the CBP said in a statement obtained by Fox News.

“The agents are being airlifted by CBP and Coast Guard to the Puerto Rico Trauma Center. The event is currently under investigation. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” the statement added.

The incident reportedly happened early Thursday morning local time, the Examiner reported. Air and Marine Operations agents patrol the skies and sea to apprehend human and drug traffickers. CBP has not officially confirmed the casualty count.

Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are reportedly investigating the incident.

On Wednesday, border agents uncovered 198 pounds of cocaine scattered across a capsized boat off the Puerto Rican coast. The contraband is worth $2 million, CBP estimated. A deceased man, found trapped underneath the vessel, was taken by the Puerto Rico Forensics Institute.

In October, CBP, Border Patrol, and Air and Marine Operations’ seizures of cocaine increased 104 percent, according to CBP data. Fentanyl seizures increased 3.5 percent. A lethal dose of fentanyl is only 2 mg, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

However, overall CBP drug seizures in weight decreased by 183,000 pounds between 2020 and 2021 and 257,000 pounds between 2021 and 2022.

The CBP shootout comes amid the ongoing border crisis and record migrant crossings that have correlated with surges in drug trafficking. Drug deaths have been rising almost continuously for 20 years, with over 100,000 Americans dying annually of overdoses.

Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw is set to introduce the Declaring War on the Cartels Act. It would allow federal judges to impose tough punishments for crimes of violence, controlled substance violations, false statements, and human trafficking perpetrated by cartel members.