2018 Chimney Canyon shootout
On June 12, 2018, a shooting between a United States Border Patrol agent and alleged Mexican smugglers took place, in which the Border Patrol agent was wounded. The incident took place in a remote area in southern Arizona near the U.S.-Mexican Border, near the community of Arivaca, Arizona.
Incident
An unidentified U.S. Border Patrol agent, alone and on foot, responded to an activated motion sensor at approximately 4:30 a.m. in Chimney Canyon, just north of the ghost town of Ruby, Arizona. Ruby is located along a well known smuggler's route that leads north from the Mexican border to Arivaca, a distance of about 10 miles. While investigating the activation, the agent was fired upon from multiple apparent sources, and was shot in one of his hands and one of his legs, and several times more in his bullet proof vest.The agent returned fire and escaped the shooters, administered first aid to himself, and retreated to his patrol vehicle. The agent called for assistance, and was evacuated via helicopter. The agent was taken to a hospital, treated for his wounds, and was later reported to be in "stable condition and good spirits." The agent was a "21-year veteran of Border Patrol" and a trained paramedic.
A Border Patrol tactical team was also called into the area, and arrested several people for "immigration-related violations," but it was unclear whether any of them had connections to the shooting. The FBI was reportedly investigating the incident.