Federal agents are investigating a violent confrontation along a cartel‑dominated smuggling corridor in southern Pima County, Arizona, after a Border Patrol agent was allegedly assaulted Tuesday morning, prompting agents to open fire and critically wound a suspect, according to local authorities and an unconfirmed Department of Homeland Security source. The Arizona man allegedly fired on a CBP Air and Marine Operations aircrew and ground-based Border Patrol agents before being shot.
A DHS source with knowledge of the investigation told Breitbart Texas the chain of events began Monday night when Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle believed to be smuggling illegal aliens through the remote desert west of Arivaca. The driver managed to escape into the darkness.
UPDATE — 7:30 p.m.: The Department of Homeland Security provided the following statement in response to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas:
On Jan. 27, at 7:20 AM local time, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a pickup truck near, Arivaca, Ariz. The driver failed to yield to agents and fled on foot. The individual fired at an Air and Marine Operations helicopter and fired at USBP agents. Agents returned fire striking the driver. The driver was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital. The incident is currently under investigation by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department. More information will be provided when available.
UPDATE — 6:00 p.m.: Multiple officials within DHS report that the suspect, now identified as 34-year-old Patrick Gary Schlegel, fired shots at a helicopter operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations. Schlegel then fired at Border Patrol agents on the ground, officials stated. The agents returned fire after he refused commands, striking the suspected human smuggler three times. He remains in a regional hospital in serious condition and now faces multiple federal felony charges related to the assaults on the agents and for human smuggling.
During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, officials disclosed that Schlegel has a criminal history that includes the smuggling of humans.
ORIGINAL STORY FOLLOWS:
On Tuesday morning, an aircrew searching the area located the suspected smuggling vehicle abandoned in rugged terrain. Agents also encountered a small group of migrants who had illegally crossed the border from Mexico into Arizona near the scene.
According to the source, the helicopter crew then spotted a man believed to be connected to the smuggling attempt. The individual allegedly pointed a weapon at the aircraft. It remains unclear whether the suspect fired at the helicopter, but the aircrew immediately relayed the threat to agents on the ground.
Border Patrol agents tracked the suspect through the desert and eventually confronted him near milepost 15 on West Arivaca Road, an area long known for cartel foot traffic and human‑smuggling activity.
As agents attempted to take the man into custody, the suspect allegedly brandished a weapon, leading agents to open fire. The man was struck, subdued, and placed into custody while wounded.
First responders from the Santa Cruz Valley Fire District and American Medical Response treated him on scene before he was airlifted to a Tucson‑area trauma center in critical condition, the Associated Press reported. Authorities have not released the suspect’s identity or nationality.
The FBI is now leading the investigation, standard protocol when a federal agent is involved in a shooting. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is assisting, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection is conducting its own internal review.
Officials have not confirmed whether the Border Patrol agent suffered injuries during the alleged assault. Investigators have also not disclosed whether the suspect fired his weapon or how many shots were exchanged.
The shooting occurred in one of the busiest illegal‑entry corridors in southern Arizona. Agents routinely report assaults, vehicle pursuits, and cartel‑linked smuggling operations in the canyons and washes west of Arivaca. Local residents have long complained that smugglers exploit the remote terrain while federal agents remain outnumbered.
Breitbart Texas contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security for additional information about the incident. An immediate response was not available.
The Arizona incident comes amid heightened national scrutiny of encounters between federal law enforcement and the public. Recent shootings involving Border Patrol and ICE officers in other states have sparked political backlash and renewed debate over the dangers agents face during smuggling interdictions.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. 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. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
