EAGLE PASS, Texas — A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper shot a suspected car thief after the driver allegedly led police on a lengthy high-speed pursuit. Police say the driver may have been looking to pick up migrants in a human smuggling attempt.
At approximately 9 p.m. on Friday night, a Texas DPS trooper attempted to stop a reportedly stolen vehicle on Highway 57 just north of Eagle Pass, according to a local law enforcement source not authorized to speak to the media. The driver allegedly refused to stop and led police on a dangerous nighttime high-speed pursuit.
The law enforcement official told Breitbart Texas the driver turned off his lights and swerved into oncoming traffic. The driver is said to have nearly struck other innocent motorists.
The pursuit ended when the driver lost control and crashed on Highway 57 near 2nd Street in Eagle Pass.
For an as-yet unreported reason, the trooper shot the suspect one time in the abdomen. An emergency crew transported the unidentified suspect to a San Antonio hospital, the source said.
The shooting is being investigated by Texas Rangers, according to DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez. DPS officials had no further information to release at this time.
The law enforcement source said it is likely the suspect was attempting to pick up migrants for the purpose of smuggling them into the U.S. interior. The trooper encountered the driver before he was able to pick up any migrants scheduled to meet up with him.
A different source operating under the umbrella of U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Breitbart the area is “notorious for migrant smuggling.”
Del Rio Sector agents are conducting more brush operations in this area after the recent reduction in large migrant groups crossing the border into Eagle Pass. During a single shift this week, agents encountered six human smuggling attempts in vehicles.
Picking up migrants in this area allows the smugglers to bypass the Border Patrol immigration checkpoint two miles to the south.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
