(AP y WNJU) — An off-duty agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection was shot Saturday in a Manhattan park after an apparent robbery attempt, according to the New York City Police Department and federal officials.
The 42-year-old officer was listed as stable on Sunday and is expected to survive. A spokesman for the New York Police Department (NYPD) said there are no indications the incident was politically motivated.
The off-duty officer, who was not in uniform, was sitting in a park under the George Washington Bridge when he was approached by a man riding on the back of a motor scooter, who then shot him in the face and arm, according to police. The off-duty officer fired back as the motorcyclist and the suspected assailant sped away. The incident was captured on a security camera at the scene.
The Department of Homeland Security released an online video showing the two men on the motor scooter, in which it states that the attacker was apprehended when attempting to enter the country illegally in 2023, but was released.
Identified as Miguel Francisco Mora Núñez, 21, he is the one the police say opened fire. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he entered the country illegally in 2023. The other suspect was identified as Cristian Aybar Berroa, who would be the motorcycle’s rider, and he entered the United States illegally in 2022. Both are Dominican nationals.
In a social media post, President Donald Trump seized on the shooting to argue that it is evidence of Democrats’ failures to strengthen border security.
“The CBP officer bravely defended himself from his attacker, despite his injuries, demonstrating tremendous skill and courage,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized New York’s sanctuary city law and said the gunman had been arrested four times in the city and released under policies of Mayor Eric Adams.
The incident comes as federal authorities warn of a rising number of attacks against officers enforcing Trump’s plan to carry out mass deportations.
As immigration raids have intensified in recent months, many officers have chosen to cover their faces to avoid becoming targets of harassment in public and online.
The acting head of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, said Sunday that he will allow officers to continue covering their faces as a security measure.
“If that is a tool ICE men and women use to keep themselves and their families safe, then I will permit it,” Lyons said.
With information from AP and WNJU.
