One ICE agent dead, one injured in attack in Mexico

Slain ICE agent Jaime Zapata

One U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was killed and other injured in an attack along a highway in northern Mexico on Feb. 15.

One agent was critically wounded in the attack and died from his injuries, said Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a Feb. 15 statement. DHS didn’t immediately name the agent who was killed, but U.S. officials have since identified him as Special Agent Jaime Zapata, who joined ICE in 2006. The second agent was shot in the arm and leg and remains in stable condition, according to DHS.

Zapata was assigned to an ICE office in Laredo, TX, where he served on the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force, according to a statement from ICE Director John Morton.

“I’m deeply saddened by the news that earlier today, two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents assigned to the ICE Attaché office in Mexico City were shot in the line of duty while driving between Mexico City and Monterrey by unknown assailants,” said Napolitano.

Unnamed Mexican officials have been quoted saying the two agents were driving in the northern state of San Luis Potosi when they were stopped at what may have appeared to be a military checkpoint on the 567-mile route and attacked. Northern Mexico has seen a massive increase in violence related to drug trafficking and drug cartels have been known to set up highway checkpoints to rob or kidnap travelers and steal vehicles.

Napolitano and Morton said U.S. law enforcement agencies are working closely with Mexican authorities who are investigating the shooting to ensure the perpetrators of the attack are captured as quickly as possible.

“Let me be clear: any act of violence against our ICE personnel – or any DHS personnel – is an attack against all those who serve our nation and put their lives at risk for our safety,” said Napolitano. “The full resources of our Department are at the disposal of our Mexican partners in this investigation. We remain committed in our broader support for Mexico’s efforts to combat violence within its borders,” she said.

“I ask that you join me in praying for our fallen and wounded colleagues.  Please keep them, and all our DHS personnel serving abroad or in harm’s way, in your thoughts,” she said.

Morton echoed Napolitano’s sympathy in a statement Feb. 15, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the news.

“This is a difficult time for ICE and especially for the families and loved ones of our agents,” he said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks confronted and the sacrifices made by our men and women every day.”

“The tragic death of an ICE agent in Mexico City—and the wounding of another—is the latest reminder of the grievous violence south of our border that must be stopped,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman  (I-CT), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a Feb. 15 statement.