FRONTON, Texas — U.S Border Patrol reported that shots were fired at some of its agents in Fronton, Texas, on Monday. There were no injuries reported.
Fronton is located on the U.S.-Mexico border in Starr County.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez, the gunfire came from cartel members on the Mexico side of the border. The Border Patrol agents were patrolling when the shooting occurred.
DPS drone operators, Olivarez said, captured the gunmen fleeing Mexico due to military presence and taking refuge on an island in the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico.
Such shootings have happened before, but this comes at a particularly politically charged time.
President Donald Trump, during his first week in office, signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued several edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and border security.
Trump ended use of a border app that allowed migrants to enter the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work, canceling tens of thousands of appointments. Nearly 1 million people entered the U.S. by using the CBP One app.
Trump also reinstated his “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced he has bolstered the state military presence in the Rio Grande Valley with an additional 400 troops and helicopters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.