Michigan man killed after firing at Texas Border Patrol station
Ryan Louis Mosqueda opened fire early Monday morning, prompting agents to return fire, resulting in his death.
McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez stated that Mosqueda fired dozens of rounds at the station entrance before agents engaged.
A police officer was shot in the knee and hospitalized, while a Border Patrol employee also sustained injuries.
Investigators found additional firearms and ammunition in Mosqueda's parked Chevrolet. Spray-painted Latin writing on the vehicle, reading 'Cordis DIE,' was noted, though authorities said it provided no clear motive.
The phrase, meaning 'Heart Day,' is linked to a fictional revolutionary group in the video game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II.'
Mosqueda had ties to the area and was reported missing hours earlier from Weslaco, 18 miles east of McAllen. His father, Jose Mosqueda, informed police his son had a 'mental deficiency' and was armed. Authorities tracked Mosqueda's vehicle before the shooting occurred.
The targeted facility houses Border Patrol's special operations teams. Nearby McAllen International Airport experienced flight delays as law enforcement secured the area.
President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has intensified border security measures, including troop deployments and raids, drawing both support and criticism over enforcement tactics. - Reuters
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The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Inside Trump's border military zone
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They are inside one of two 'National Defence Areas' created along 418km of the southern border in New Mexico and Texas, part of Trump's effort to deploy active-duty troops for border enforcement – a mission traditionally handled by Border Patrol. The military zones are classified as US Army installations. Troops can now temporarily detain and question migrants or civilians caught inside, a shift towards military policing without invoking the Insurrection Act. The Army has not disclosed exact boundaries, but in New Mexico the zone appears to stretch nearly 5km inland, according to 'restricted area' signs posted along State Road 9. Within the zones, signs are posted every 100m, about 15m north of the barrier – meaning migrants read them only after crossing. Yet, crossing here now carries new risks: trespassing charges on top of unlawful entry, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. But early attempts to prosecute have largely failed. Since May, federal judges in Texas and New Mexico have dismissed trespass charges, including one case involving a Peruvian woman, ruling there was no proof the migrants saw the signs before entering. Despite this, Trump insists the military zones are necessary to repel an 'invasion' of traffickers and smugglers, even though illegal crossings are at historic lows following a 2024 asylum crackdown and tighter immigration controls in Mexico. A US Army soldier using binoculars while riding a Stryker armoured vehicle at the US-Mexico border. — Reuters Border buildup Since March, Trump has more than tripled active-duty troop levels along the border – from 2,500 under Biden to 8,000, according to the US Army. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management transferred 44,500ha of public land – seven times the size of Manhattan – to the Army to create the first zone. In May, a second was added using land from the International Boundary and Water Commission in Texas. These areas now function as satellites of Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Fort Bliss in Texas. Deployed units include around 2,400 troops and 105 Stryker armoured vehicles from the 4th Infantry Division in Colorado. The eight-wheeled Strykers – seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine – now patrol stretches from El Paso to Santa Teresa, one of the border's deadliest crossing zones. Parked beneath bridges, beside landfills, or overlooking gaps in the wall, their engines hum 24/7 in the 38°C heat to cool crews. Soldiers are unarmed, but carry personal weapons and operate long-range cameras with night vision. 'Monotonous,' one insider said – but it gives soldiers 'a sense of purpose'. According to Army figures, troops have alerted Border Patrol to 390 crossings since the first zone was created, and made their first detentions in June, handing three migrants over in New Mexico. A different kind of line Locals are divided. 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The Sun
08-07-2025
- The Sun
Michigan man killed after firing at Texas Border Patrol station
MCALLEN: A 27-year-old Michigan man was killed after firing an assault rifle at a US Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, authorities confirmed. Ryan Louis Mosqueda opened fire early Monday morning, prompting agents to return fire, resulting in his death. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez stated that Mosqueda fired dozens of rounds at the station entrance before agents engaged. A police officer was shot in the knee and hospitalized, while a Border Patrol employee also sustained injuries. Investigators found additional firearms and ammunition in Mosqueda's parked Chevrolet. Spray-painted Latin writing on the vehicle, reading 'Cordis DIE,' was noted, though authorities said it provided no clear motive. The phrase, meaning 'Heart Day,' is linked to a fictional revolutionary group in the video game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II.' Mosqueda had ties to the area and was reported missing hours earlier from Weslaco, 18 miles east of McAllen. His father, Jose Mosqueda, informed police his son had a 'mental deficiency' and was armed. Authorities tracked Mosqueda's vehicle before the shooting occurred. The targeted facility houses Border Patrol's special operations teams. Nearby McAllen International Airport experienced flight delays as law enforcement secured the area. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has intensified border security measures, including troop deployments and raids, drawing both support and criticism over enforcement tactics. - Reuters
The Star
07-07-2025
- The Star
Man killed after firing at US Border Patrol station in Texas
Reuters' template to be used in breaking news scenarios. Editors, please ignore. REUTERS WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A 27-year-old Michigan man was shot dead by U.S. Border Patrol agents after opening fire with an assault rifle on a U.S. Border Patrol station in the southern Texas city of McAllen on Monday, local police said. Ryan Louis Mosqueda fired dozens of rounds at the entrance of the facility shortly before 6 a.m. and agents returned fire, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez told reporters. A McAllen police officer was shot in the knee during the exchange of fire and was taken to hospital, Rodriguez said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said a Border Patrol employee was also injured. Law enforcement found additional assault firearms and more ammunition in Mosqueda's Chevrolet passenger car, which was parked nearby, Rodriguez added. "There were many, many, dozens of rounds fired by the suspect towards the building and agents in the building," he said. Writing, thought to be Latin, was spray-painted on the side of the vehicle, but Rodriguez did not provide details of what it said or whether it gave any indication of the motive for the attack. Pictures published on social media showed "Cordis DIE," a Latin phrase meaning "Heart Day," written in black spray paint on the driver's door of the white, two-door car. The name also refers to a fictional populist revolutionary movement in the "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" video game, according to fan websites. The facility where the shooting took place houses Border Patrol's special operations teams, according to a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection official. Mosqueda is believed to have ties to the area as he was reported missing at 4 a.m. from a residence in Weslaco, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) east of McAllen, Rodriguez said, without giving further details. The FBI is leading the investigation as it involved an attack on federal officers and a federal building, Rodriguez said. Flights at the nearby McAllen International Airport were delayed for several hours as law enforcement secured the area. A member of Border Patrol's tactical unit, known as BORTAC, helped stop the alleged shooter, the former CBP official said, requesting anonymity to share details of the incident. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has made combating illegal immigration a top priority, sending troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and launching aggressive raids in U.S. cities. The actions - supported by Trump's hardline Republican base - have also led to pushback from Americans concerned about arrests of non-criminals and enforcement tactics that include officers wearing masks to hide their identities. The number of migrants caught crossing the border illegally has fallen to record lows under Trump, including a new monthly low of about 6,100 in June. In 2020, during his first term, Trump deployed BORTAC agents to the city of Portland, Oregon to protect federal buildings after attacks on a federal courthouse during protests against racism and police brutality. (Reporting by Ted Hesson and Jasper Ward; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bill Berkrot and Kevin Liffey)
