Driver killed after fleeing Texas Border Patrol checkpoint and shooting at officers, law enforcement says

By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

(CNN) — A man was killed Wednesday after fleeing a US Border Patrol checkpoint near El Paso, Texas, and firing at law enforcement, a spokesperson with the local sheriff’s office said.

The man first began shooting at agents who were performing vehicle checks at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint, located on a remote stretch of the US-Mexico border about 90 miles east of El Paso, a spokesperson with the Culberson County Sheriff’s Office said.

After opening fire, the driver sped away from the checkpoint, sparking a high-speed vehicle and helicopter chase down Interstate 10, the spokesperson said.

The chase ended about 70 miles away near Kent after law enforcement performed a PIT maneuver, she said. As officers asked the driver to exit the vehicle, the man began shooting at law enforcement, prompting one officer to shoot and kill the driver, according to the spokesperson.

Witness video shows at least four law enforcement vehicles closely pursuing a car as it weaves through highway traffic.

Olivia Siqueiros said she saw the chase speed by as she was driving with her family. Later, as they neared a scrum of vehicles stopped in the road, she tried to get a closer look.

“We got out of our cars because we were trying to figure out what was happening,” Siqueiros said. “At that point, we saw a flash grenade go off and then we heard a loud boom and several gunshots. Everyone just ran back in their cars.”

After the shootout, another video captured the man’s car wedged in a ditch with its driver’s side door and trunk flung open.

Texas State Troopers, Border Patrol agents and members of the Culberson County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the chase. It is unclear which agency fired the fatal shot.

The shooting comes as immigration enforcement officers face on-the-job threats that the Department of Homeland Security says have increased during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, though it’s not clear whether the stepped-up enforcement was a factor in Wednesday’s incident.

There is no current risk to the public, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a post on X.

CNN has sought more information from the DHS and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The checkpoint where the shooting began boasts a “first-of-its-kind” vehicle barrier system, which was installed in January. The semi-autonomous barrier is intended to prevent vehicles from fleeing at high speeds from the checkpoint, CBP has said.

Though the incident occurred on the US side of the checkpoint, it is unclear whether the new barrier was involved.

The Sierra Blanca station is the second-busiest checkpoint in the US, according to Rep. Tony Gonzales. The critical border artery processes thousands of vehicles a day.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.