McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Border Patrol agents were fired upon Monday in the remote town of Fronton in western Starr County, Texas.
The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. CST, when agents reported shots fired at them just east of the Starr-Zapata county line in South Texas, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Border Report on Monday evening.
There were no injuries, the official said.
NewsNation is reporting Monday that Mexican cartel operatives were attempting to drive a group of undocumented migrants across the Rio Grande when the confrontation occurred.
Agents with CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI all responded to the scene.
Starr County is known to be an area where Mexican cartels often run drugs across the Rio Grande.
The area has an uninhabited island in the middle of the Rio Grande called Fronton Island that has been the scene for drug- and human smuggling, Border Patrol officials have told Border Report.
Three years ago, Border Patrol agents also were fired upon in the area.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deemed the area dangerous last year and as part of Operation Lone Star sent Texas National Guard and other troops to connect the island to the mainland to thwart it from aiding criminal organizations.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
