Texas National Guard shoots at migrant smuggler who drove at them: sources

Texas National Guard soldiers opened fire at a migrant smuggler who they were apprehending and who drove straight at them — causing them to act to defend themselves, multiple law enforcement sources told Fox News.

The two soldiers fired their weapons at the smuggler at 1 a.m. on Tuesday in the border town of Laredo, Texas. Sources told Fox News that they approached a vehicle they suspected was being used for human smuggling.

As they did so, the driver accelerated towards them, and so they discharged their weapons to defend themselves. The driver then sped off before he was later apprehended by Border Patrol. In the car were six illegal immigrants. There were no injuries.

The driver is a 17-year-old U. S. citizen and is now charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and human smuggling. Multiple officials told Fox it is incredibly rare for the Texas National Guard to fire their weapons, and it has been years since the last time this happened.

Border agents have been struggling to cope with an influx of migrants since early 2021, which has been accompanied by an increase in smuggling and other criminal activity. There ... (Read more)

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