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Alonso Castillo / Reuters, file
Relatives pray beside a coffin containing the body of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez during his funeral in Nogales, Mexico, on Oct. 14. A U.S. Border Patrol agent fired at suspected drug smugglers across the border into Mexico late Oct. 10, and the teen was hit seven times, an autopsy showed.
A Mexican teenager killed when the U.S. Border Patrol opened fire on a group of rock throwers in Mexico last year was shot at least seven times from behind, an autopsy by Mexican authorities showed.
Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, 16, was shot as agents fired into Nogales, Mexico, after responding to reports of drug trafficking on Oct 10.
An attorney for the Elena Rodriguez family, Luis F. Parra, released a copy of the Mexican medical examiner's report on Thursday.
The autopsy was conducted several hours after the shooting. It found that the teen had been struck in the head, neck and body by at least seven bullets fired from behind him. It described several other bullet injuries, some of which may have been exit wounds.
Following the shooting, Mexican authorities condemned the U.S. Border Patrol's use of lethal force and called for a timely and transparent investigation.
In a written statement, the Border Patrol said the incident began shortly before midnight on October 10 when agents responded to reports of two suspected smugglers, who they watched drop drugs on the Arizona side of the border.
The smugglers then fled back across the border into Mexico and "began assaulting the agents with rocks." An unnamed agent opened fire after the suspects refused orders to stop, the patrol said.
News pictures taken shortly after the October shooting showed Elena Rodriguez' apparently lifeless body face down on the sidewalk a few yards south of the border fence, which consists of parallel steel barriers.
Alonso Castillo / Reuters, file
A cross is seen at the U.S.-Mexico border near the site where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was found dead.
The FBI has been leading the investigation into the shooting. A spokesman for the agency's Phoenix division declined on Thursday to comment on the autopsy or the continuing investigation.
Parra did not immediately respond to a request on Thursday for comment on the autopsy's findings.
Elena Rodriguez was the second Mexican teenager killed in a clash with the Border Patrol in the Mexican border city in less than two years. In January 2011, an agent fired into Mexico, killing 17-year-old Ramses Barron of Nogales.
The Elena Rodriguez shooting came more than a week after a Border Patrol agent was shot dead near the border in an apparent friendly fire incident.
Arizona is on a major route for Mexican smuggling networks hauling drugs and illegal immigrants to the United States, and running guns and cash profits back south to Mexico.
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Sources: Friendly Fire killed Border Patrol agent
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
Shot 7 times -- must have been a 9mm. According to Mexican authorities -- why weren't they there to stop the rock throwing? Lesson - don't throw rocks. Lesson - Don't mess with the BP. And if I remember the original story correctly a BP officer was struck by a rock first. Then they opened fire.
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The agents are the problem.
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It was dark outside right? It is a known smuggler's route, right. Drug smuggler's have guns, right? For those of you that want to condem the BP, why don't you go put yourself in the line of fire and show us how brave you are by trying to coddle drug smugglers, you can make them see that smuggling drugs is wrong, RIGHT! That 16 year old might have had drugs to sell to your kid, which could ended in the death or destruction of your child.
@WRYobsever and all you other liitle penis fools. This was a 16 year old kid who was used for target practice by other little penis fools. They are not protecting the US because if they were they would be coming after you and not a kid with ROCKS because I'm sure you have AK's to cover up the fact that you have no brain and nothing below the belt.
Well JJ our border lines should not be a play ground. Plus it was midnight d***, which I'm sure you don't have much of because of your obvious case of penis envy.
JJ- What is a 'penis fool'? And what is the difference btween a little penis fool and a big penis fool? Is there such a thing as a big penis fool? Now, do you realize how foolish YOU look?
May God comfort his family. Here is yet another case of people thinking they are above the law. There is a cost, no matter how heart wrenching, to illegal activity. These people know the risks they take and it doesn't matter if your 16 or 100. Money for your life.....guess it's your life to make that decision with but don't blame the Border Patrol for protecting the American border. The Border Patrol didn't come into Mexico firing on innocent people. All's fair until someone dies, right?
It would have been much more efficient to have killed seven smugglers with one shot each.
One more reason to have no respect or trust for people in uniform. What a collection of Douche-bags.
No wonder that guy in California had to take things into his own hands. I have respect for him.
Whats wrong lonestar was this kid one of your own personal mules
Excellent analogy...
And just like a douche-bag, our Border Patrol is there to help keep our Country feeling Fresh & Clean by eliminating illegal odors.
In fact, we should douche our Southern Border regularly.
Give the US border Patrol agnet a medal and a reward for getting rid of scum.. We need a mile wide DMZ between The US and Mexico laced with land mines, razor wire and US troops patroling the border with orders of shoot to kill anyone invading the US border.
easiest way ti get rid of illegal immigrants is put a dead or alive bounty on them. $1 for a live one , $25 for a dead one. and watch them run south for the border.
Nailer i will supply the first couple hundred for your program
Who cares , He was a low life drug smuggler. They can shoot at us but god forbid we shoot at them. What ever happened to the case several years ago when that young couple was jet skiing on that lake bordering US and Mexico. They shot that poor guy from the U.S while his wife barely got away. I say kill all of the smugglers end of story. But I'm sure some liberal lawyer with a pony tail will want justice for the low life that was killed.
And Obama said, "If I had a son, he would be just like Jose".
Live by the rock, die by the gun. Hmmm, this doesn't bother me at all.
So a drug smuggler gets caught smuggling illegal drugs into our country, the border agents probably went to recover the drugs and were assaulted with rock and in order to defend themselves used lethal force.. And the issue is? Sorry but the young boys age is sad but I don't feel bad. I hope our guys didn't get hurt, they are brave men and women left out on an island without any real government support fighting a ruthless never ending enemy.. Mexico.
That's a good start!!!
jj, maybe you should see a doctor on that p-thing. Sounds as if you have a complex.
We should of been protecting our borders by lethal force 11 million illegal's ago...
Raul first of all this reported shooting was by the mexican government. A real trusty bunch they are. This person could have been shot by drug cartel for getting caught and loosing the drugs. I can tell you this much the poor border patrol will now get fired because the leader of mexico north Obuma will make sure he is.
Teens are killing people every day....the BP have a job to do and that includes teens, children, and women. The illegal is the cause of their demise, not the Man doing his job. When is America going to start defending the innocent men & women in uniform as well when there are acts in war? The BP have a dangerous job as does our Military...so when they do it, they need the support of the country they represent. Mexico is only using these incidents as a ploy against America as Viet Nam did sending their children out wired with explosives. Wake up America...the sentiment belongs with the American who is defending you!!!
The Elena Rodriguez shooting came more than a week after a Border Patrol agent was shot dead near the border in an apparent friendly fire incident.
Arizona is on a major route for Mexican smuggling networks hauling drugs and illegal immigrants to the United States, and running guns and cash profits back south to Mexico.
Guess what? SO WHAT? The parents and family although devastated are just as guilty as the kid was. He was just throwing rocks? Really? I am sure that at midnight those rocks look like grenandes. The problem here is Mexico. Mexico has done nothing but whine, mope and cry in the illegal alien war.
When my son was 16 I knew exactly where he was at midnight! Those kids were interefering with US Border Patrol and were trying to stop them from xdoing their jobs. Had they not 'thrown the first stone' everyone would have gone home happy. Not these brave young lads, oh no not them, they decided they needed to ASSAULT the FEDERAL AGENTS, and they did so with intent to do bodily harm.
Our BAs go out every night in search of illegal traffickers, both human and drugs. What they find is amazing. What they have to put up with is unprecedented. If the story of a caught illegal were ever to change ( I want a better life, there is no work where I live, my babies need new shoes etc etc etc ) then they might fall for it, but it is the same SCRIPTED bs baloney everytime.
We need to start making them go back in exactly the same way they came in. On foot, with just the clothes on their backs. Let them climb back over the fence ( or under it ) with a Mexican guard waiting on the other side.
Border patrol vigilante and murderer.
Carl:
You're an idiot, and likely a coward!
No carl was the second drug mule you know the one they missed
My only question is Why are the other agents that were at the shoot out such bad shots.
Do we need to increase the budget for target practice for boarder agents?
Real drug runners don't run from a fight, they run toward it, this kid could not even do that correct.
Mexico complaining about this is ridiculous they have stricter border control than we do and they enforce their laws.
This looks like the same tactic the Palestinians use with Israel send the kids to throw rocks and then complain when there is a natural response from the other side of the border.
they never enforce what goes out only what comes in
francis...you are so correct!
Shot 7 times from behind....worse case of suicide I have ever heard.
Now that's a good start. Kill a few more and the word will get out.
This thug got what he deserved, age makes no difference. It's time to take folks that disrespect out borders, our laws and our lawmen and put them out of our misery.
Sometimes when you mess with the bull you get the horns. Good Job of protecting our border , Mr. Border Patrol agent. PUT THEM ALL OUT OF OUR MISERY!!!!!!!!!
If you really want to blame someone for deaths like this, on both sides of the mexican border. You can lay it at the doorstep of all those politicians who "promised" to secure the border to get the last seven amnesties, or forms of it passed!
They lied to our faces, and saying "the border is more secure now than it has ever been" insults anyones intelligence when you consider the billions of dollars in illegal drugs, illegal aliens, etc. that illegally cross our border with Mexico on an annual basis.