An off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was shot in the face this past weekend in Fort Washington Park in Manhattan, and two suspects have since been taken into custody. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized New York City's sanctuary city laws in the wake of the shooting, directly blaming the policies after it was revealed that one suspect, 21-year-old Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, had been previously arrested and released multiple times in NYC.
Secretary Noem visited the injured agent, who is in stable condition, and addressed the incident during her visit. "There’s absolutely zero reason that someone who is scum of the earth like this should be running loose on the streets of New York City," Noem said, according to a report from the New York Post. The suspect, Nunez, is a Dominican national who allegedly crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in April 2023 and had been arrested at least four times prior to the shooting incident.
Christhian Aybar-Berroa was taken into custody after the arrest of Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez. Both are Dominican Republic nationals with criminal records in New York. According to Secretary Noem, they allegedly ambushed the agent and his female companion in Fort Washington Park last Saturday.
In an interview with PIX 11, Noem added, "My hope is that… when ICE is out in our communities, and they’re lodging detainers against individuals that are in this country illegally perpetuating crimes, that we would have a city like New York City start to honor them." Mayor Eric Adams has previously expressed a desire to loosen the city's sanctuary laws but pointed out that any change would require action from the City Council, which has been resistant.
Both suspects involved in the shooting are expected to face federal charges, according to authorities.
