
An American citizen was shot following an attack by suspected Mexican cartel members in southern California's Jacumba Wilderness, near the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. The victim, alongside a Canadian hiker, encountered the armed assailants while trekking just 1,000 feet north of the international boundary on Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m., when a desperate call for help came through the Imperial County Sherriff’s Office 911 Dispatch, according to a report by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The victims were confronted by two men brandishing weapons and, after resisting orders to approach them, shots were fired by the suspects, causing injury to the American hiker's leg and enabling the assailants to rob the pair of their possessions.
Within an hour, a specialized response team consisting of the Mountain Disrupt Unit, BORTAC, and BORSTAR was deployed to the location. They administered first aid to stem the bleeding and safeguarded the area. Swiftly, assistance came in the form of CBP Air and Marine Operations from San Diego, who facilitated an urgent air extraction for the injured individual to Reach Air Ambulance. The victim was subsequently hospitalized at the Sharp Medical Center in San Diego for intensive care.
Following the extraction, BORTAC and BORSTAR agents established a perimeter, tracking the attackers to the border, where, it appears, they retreated into Mexican territory. As per the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino asserted, "The wounded hiker is an ‘I told you so moment’ highlighting the importance of adequate infrastructure the Border Patrol has been championing for years now." Bovino also warned that suspected cartel perpetrators are bound to realize that such actions will not be tolerated, vowing that "All threats, anywhere, or at any time throughout this sector will be addressed vigorously."