ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal judge sentenced an El Paso man to 19 years in prison for shooting at a U.S. Border Patrol agent, announced the U.S. District Attorney of New Mexico on Friday.
Robert Esquivel was convicted of attempted murder of an officer, aggravated assault of an officer with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm, and conspiracy to transport migrants in the U.S. illegally.
According to court records, Esquivel fired at an unnamed agent, hitting him twice in the torso during a routine immigration inspection on a rural stretch of New Mexico highway. Esquivel, a U.S. citizen, was transporting five individuals who had entered the country illegally. He later confessed to illegally transporting migrants on four separate occasions.
Despite sustaining gunshot wounds, the agent survived due to his ballistic vest.
Following the shooting, Esquivel fled the scene but lost control of his vehicle, causing it to roll over multiple times. Court records indicated that passengers in the car urged Esquivel to stop as he attempted to escape.
Esquivel’s attorney from the federal public defender’s office was not available for comment at the time.
The sentencing of Esquivel serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers working to uphold border security and immigration laws.
