CBP officer shot in NYC; illegal immigrant arrested

An off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was shot and wounded during an attempted robbery in New York City. At least one of the suspects is an illegal immigrant, according to officials. The officer is recovering in stable condition.

The incident occurred late Saturday night in Fort Washington Park near West 178th Street, the New York Daily News reported, citing police. Around 11:50 p.m., two suspects approached the officer on a moped.

Surveillance video released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows one of the suspects, wearing a white shirt and carrying a handgun, confronting the officer as he sat on a rock. A brief struggle ensued before a shot was fired.

The officer returned fire, hitting one of the suspects, who later arrived at a nearby hospital, according to the Daily News. The second suspect remains at large.

DHS confirmed that Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was involved in the incident, though it remains unclear whether he was the one who shot the officer.

According to DHS, Mora Nunez had previously been arrested for felony second- and third-degree assault and was subject to a deportation order. He was apprehended by Border Patrol near San Luis, Arizona, on April 4, 2023, and subsequently released.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Mora Nunez also has an outstanding criminal warrant in Massachusetts for kidnapping, in addition to other charges.

CBP confirmed the officer was off duty at the time of the shooting. “The officer is currently in the hospital in stable condition,” the agency said. “The New York Police Department is currently investigating the incident.”

In a statement on Truth Social, President Donald Trump called the suspect an “Illegal Alien Monster” and criticized the Biden administration’s immigration policies, saying the suspect “was apprehended at the Border in April 2023 but, instead of being deported, was RELEASED.”