A person is in critical condition after being shot early Tuesday morning in an incident involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Arivaca, Arizona, not far from the U.S.–Mexico border, authorities said. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the shooting and said law enforcement agencies are actively investigating what led up to the encounter.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. along Arivaca Road near milepost 15 in southern Pima County, according to local emergency officials. First responders from the Santa Rita Fire District and American Medical Response were on the scene shortly after the shooting and provided aid. The wounded person was airlifted to a trauma center in Tucson in critical condition, but their identity has not been released.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement that his office is working “in coordination with the FBI Phoenix-Tucson office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection” on the investigation, but agencies have not offered additional details on what precipitated the shooting or whether any law enforcement personnel were injured.
The precise circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear. Authorities have not yet released information on whether the individual shot was armed or what triggered the use of force. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This episode marks another high-profile incident involving federal immigration enforcement officers just days after the fatal Border Patrol shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, which sparked national debates over federal tactics and use of force.
Online reaction to the Arizona shooting has been immediate and intense, with some commenters drawing connections to other recent Border Patrol and ICE-related use-of-force cases — and urging authorities to release more information as the investigation unfolds.
At this stage, investigators have emphasized that the matter is still under active review, and updates are expected as law enforcement examines body-worn camera footage, witness accounts, and forensic evidence to determine how and why the shooting occurred.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
