(NewsInsights.org) – Conditions on the southern border near El Paso have become more volatile recently, including a March 21 riot involving nearly 500 illegal immigrants. On Sunday, April 14, one illegal migrant escaped back to Mexico from El Paso after he stabbed two other suspected immigrants despite a gunshot wound from an Indiana National Guardsman.
Since Abbott began Operation Lone Star to secure his state’s border with Mexico, 14 other GOP-led states, including Indiana, have sent National Guard troops to back his play and send a message to Washington, DC. So when Army base personnel saw an immigrant inside the concertina wire near the river’s edge stabbing two others, they reported the incident to the Texas Department of Safety (DPS) and the Texas Military Department (TMD).
Just in: In response to the Indiana NG soldier shooting an illegal immigrant yesterday in the El Paso sector—@TXMilitary says, “Early on the afternoon of 14 April, a National Guard Servicemember assigned to Operation Lone Star discharged a weapon in a border-related incident. The… pic.twitter.com/aSt1rLCDXU
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) April 15, 2024
First responders treated the stabbing victims for non-life-threatening wounds. DPS took both into custody as suspected undocumented noncitizens (UNCs). Authorities have not released the identity of the Indiana National Guard trooper who fired at the attacker. In a statement, the organization said it was “aware of the incident” and that it actively “support[s] and care[s] for our soldiers and airmen who are supporting Operation Lone Star.”
Texas DPS opened an ongoing investigation into the incident. Notably, DPS and TMD personnel didn’t allow US Customs and Border Protection personnel access to the scene or the suspects.
DPS has arrested at least 221 individuals associated with the March 21 riot that occurred a few miles away near Gate 36. Undocumented immigrants cut through concertina wire and stormed National Guardsmen in that incident, reportedly punching and stomping through the troops to break into the US.
El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks indicted nine people on felony charges, including seven for rioting and assaulting a public servant. A judge released several other arrested migrants on personal bonds on Easter Sunday despite the DA’s request to postpone bond hearings until after the holiday. Hicks said he presumed federal authorities had deported those released by the judge using existing federal detainers.
However, the prosecutor expressed concern “about violence and destruction of property” he saw escalating in the region. He wanted to send a clear message that El Paso and Texas won’t accept crime.
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