A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was killed and two others injured after a shootout with suspected drug traffickers off the coast of Puerto Rico, agency spokesman Jeffrey Quiñones said.
“An agent who was transported directly to a hospital in Mayagüez, we were told a few minutes ago, confirmed that he is dead. We cannot provide any more details about the agent until the family is notified,” Quiñones said.
The three officers were patrolling the coast Thursday morning when they came across a suspected smuggling vessel, according to the agency. The situation escalated when officers were shot, and in the shootout, one officer was killed, and two others were injured, the agency said.
One suspected smuggler was killed and another arrested, the agency said. The nationalities of the suspects were not provided by the authorities.
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As of Thursday night, three people are in custody awaiting federal charges, said Joseph Gonzalez, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Juan field office. No further details were provided about the type of allegations or the nationality of the people.
The identities of the agents were not made public.
The two surviving officers are being treated in Puerto Rico for multiple gunshot wounds, according to Dr. Israel Ayala, medical director of the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration.
Ayala also said that the hospitalized agents are getting the attention they need, and their evolution will be observed over the next 24 hours.
“One of them was immediately admitted to the stabilization unit and is being treated by emergency doctors and trauma surgeons,” Ayala told CNN in a statement. “Meanwhile, the other officer is in an area we call minor surgery and is also being evaluated and treated by the ER and trauma services.”
González said one agent is in critical condition and the other in stable condition.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers he was briefed on the situation on Thursday morning and offered prayers for the officers and their families.
“We pray for the family of the officer who lost his life, and we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Mayorkas said during a Senate panel on global threats.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the incident.
