/ Modified feb 23, 2022 8:53 a.m.

Autopsy confirms gunshots killed migrant who died in Border Patrol incident

The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the cause of death for an unidentified male migrant shot by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday night.

Border Patrol vehicle fence hero A Border Patrol vehicle at the fence on the U.S.-Mexico border near Nogales.
AZPM Staff

The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the cause of death for an unidentified male migrant shot by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday night.

In a press release posted Facebook on Sunday night, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating an "agent-related incident" that occurred around 10 p.m. the night before, some 30 miles northeast of Douglas.

It said the office was initially told that a male migrant was "seriously injured" in a rugged mountainous area near Skeleton Canyon and had "succumbed to his injuries."

An earlier release from the Sheriff’s Office said the man had been "fatally wounded" by a Border Patrol agent, but the information was omitted in the updated release. A spokesperson with the office said the investigation was ongoing.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told the Associated Press that the agency was working with the Sheriff’s Office to investigate the death. On Tuesday, a press release from the Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed the man had died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said the Mexican Consulate had been informed of the death and would work with authorities to identify the man. Consulate officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Fronteras Desk
Fronteras Desk is a KJZZ project covering important stories in an expanse stretching from Northern Arizona deep into northwestern Mexico.
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