A 27-year-old man from Michigan was fatally shot after he opened fire on a US Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, early Monday morning, authorities said.
Ryan Louis Mosqueda fired dozens of rounds with an assault rifle at the facility just before dawn, prompting agents inside to return fire, said McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez.
During the gunfight, a McAllen police officer was shot in the knee and taken to a hospital. A Border Patrol employee was also injured, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
Rodriguez said Mosqueda’s car, parked nearby, contained additional assault weapons and ammunition. He noted, “There were many, many dozens of rounds fired by the suspect towards the building and agents inside.”
A photo of Mosqueda’s vehicle showed writing, possibly in Latin, spray-painted on the side. Rodriguez did not reveal the message or whether it pointed to a motive.
The targeted facility houses Border Patrol’s special operations teams, including the BORTAC tactical unit, a former US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official said. A BORTAC agent reportedly helped stop the shooter.
Mosqueda was reported missing at 4 a.m. from a home in Weslaco, about 29 km (18 miles) east of McAllen. Authorities believe he had ties to the area but released no further information.
Because the incident involved federal officers and a federal facility, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now leading the case.
Flights at McAllen International Airport were delayed for several hours while law enforcement secured the area.
Under President Donald Trump’s administration, border security has remained a key priority. His aggressive immigration enforcement, including sending troops to the border and launching raids in US cities, has drawn both support and criticism. While supporters back the crackdown, others have voiced concern over the targeting of non-criminals and the use of masked agents.
Illegal border crossings have fallen sharply under Trump, with a record low of about 6,100 migrants detained in June. During his first term in 2020, Trump deployed BORTAC agents to Portland, Oregon, to defend federal buildings amid protests against police brutality and racism.