A National Guard member on duty at the Texas-Mexico border in El Paso fired across the Rio Grande, injuring a 37-year-old Mexican man in Ciudad Juárez on Saturday night. The incident is currently under investigation.
The Texas Military Department and Mexican news outlets reported that the National Guard servicemember discharged their weapon during a border-related incident. The injured man, Darwin José García from Veracruz, was participating in a sport on the Mexican side of the river when he heard shots and realized he had been shot in the leg.
The shooting occurred near the Bridge of the Americas, close to a national park in Ciudad Juárez. Paramedics treated García at the scene before transporting him to a local hospital. He has since been released.
This is the second reported incident in which a Texas National Guard member has shot a civilian while deployed for Operation Lone Star. The program, launched in 2021, aims to deter migrants from crossing the Texas-Mexico border. The first incident took place in January 2022 when a soldier shot a migrant in the shoulder.
The Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant rights group in El Paso, condemned the recent shooting and called for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. They are urging federal and state governments to take immediate action to address the violence and cruelty at the border.
The Texas Military Department, U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Governor Greg Abbott’s office have not yet provided comments on the incident.
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