Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have created an FBI-led task force to investigate shootings linked to a Mexican drug gang that left one U.S. immigration agent dead and another injured in Mexico on Tuesday.
Jaime Zapata
Holder and Napolitano made the announcement Wednesday after meeting to discuss the attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata, who was killed, and a law enforcement official who was briefly hospitalized after being shot in the leg.
“This was an intentional ambush against two United States federal agents,” he said in a statement. “This tragic event is a game changer. The United States will not tolerate acts of violence against its citizens or law enforcement and I believe we must respond forcefully.”
Officials have not released the name of the ICE agent who was injured in the attack. But the Associated Press has identified him as Victor Avila.
“The murder of Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the shooting of another ICE agent provide a sad reminder of the dangers American law enforcement officers face every day,” Holder said in a statement. “Working with our Mexican counterparts, we have already launched an aggressive investigation, and this joint task force will ensure that every available resource is used to bring the perpetrators of this terrible crime to justice.”
The shooting happened in north-central Mexico as the agents traveled from Mexico City to Monterrey on a major highway in their blue Suburban vehicle, the AP said. The assailants are unknown, according to the Justice Department.
Napolitano said the shooting was the highest-profile attack on U.S. law enforcement officials in Mexico since Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was tortured and killed in 1985, according to the AP.
Andrew Ramonas contributed reporting.
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