Jim Chilton has long warned the government about the few strands of barbed wire that separate Mexico from the U.S. on his Arizona ranch.
He says the lack of a serious barrier, combined with the Border Patrol’s enforcement decisions, have effectively ceded miles of U.S. territory to the Sinaloa cartel, which has put scouts on his hilltops and blazed smuggling trails across his land.
On Tuesday that combination of weak barriers and few agents ended in violence, he said, after a Border Patrol agent was ambushed and wounded on Mr. Children’s property in what authorities labeled a “shooting incident” — and which has raised anew the thorny questions of border security.
The agent, who wasn’t identified, was patrolling alone about 4:30 a.m. when the shooting occurred.
He was shot in the hand and leg, and took some rounds to his body armor as well, Mr. Chilton said, citing an email he received from the Border Patrol. The agent was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover.
“Thanks goodness for the vest, he survived,” the rancher said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said “several subjects” were taken into custody after the shooting, but didn’t give any more details. The FBI and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility were handling the investigation.
But Mr. Chilton said the shooting could have been averted had the government taken border security more seriously.
“President Trump needs to complete the wall and fill the 25-mile gap, and move the Border Patrol to the international boundary, rather than be located 80 miles from the boundary,” Mr. Chilton told The Washington Times by telephone.
CBP officials declined to comment on the lack of a wall along that part of the border.
The shooting took place about 10 miles north of the boundary line, in exceptionally rough terrain. The closest town in Arivaca.