A man was wounded on January 27 after exchanging gunfire with U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Arizona-Mexico border, according to authorities. Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Arizona, fired at a Border Patrol helicopter and at agents during an apprehension attempt near Arivaca, Arizona, about 10 miles from the border. Agents returned fire, striking Schlegel, who was transported to a hospital and recovering from surgery, said Heith Janke, special agent in charge of the FBI in Phoenix.
The shooting is the latest in a series of federal officer shootings tied to expanded immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration, with multiple incidents in January prompting investigations and raising questions about use-of-force practices.
The Incident
The shooting unfolded when Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle during a traffic stop near Arivaca, Arizona, a community about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The vehicle’s occupants fled, and a Border Patrol agent later spotted the same vehicle in the area and attempted to stop it again. The driver fled on foot.
During the encounter, Schlegel fired at a Border Patrol helicopter and at agents on the ground. Agents returned fire, striking Schlegel and wounding him. He was transported to a hospital where he was recovering from surgery, according to Heith Janke, special agent in charge of the FBI in Phoenix.
Criminal History and Expected Charges
Schlegel is suspected of involvement in a human smuggling operation. He is expected to be charged with assault on a federal officer, human smuggling, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Janke said.
“Let me be clear, any assault on law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” Janke said.
Court records show a long history of smuggling-related offenses. In December 2025, Schlegel had an outstanding warrant for escape from an incarceration facility in Tucson, where he had been held on a prior human smuggling and firearms conviction. On December 15, 2025, he signed out for a counseling session and did not return.
Two years earlier, in 2023, Schlegel was charged with transporting migrants illegally near the border. Authorities said he loaded more than a dozen people into a truck, hid them under a tarp, and drove away. Border Patrol agents followed the truck before it crashed. According to court records, Schlegel fled on foot and allegedly threw rocks at a government helicopter before being apprehended. Two pistols were found in the truck.
Investigation and Official Response
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a news conference that he believed the Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting “acted lawfully” based on available information. “The investigation is still ongoing. There may be other things that show up,” Nanos said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading a use-of-force investigation of the Border Patrol at the FBI’s request, a standard practice when federal agents are involved in a shooting within county jurisdiction. The sheriff’s department said its role in the investigation reflects “long standing relationships” built to promote transparency in the border area.
Nanos, a Democrat, noted that video footage exists from the shooting but was uncertain about its source or whether it includes police body camera footage.
Broader Context
The Arivaca shooting is one of several federal officer shootings tied to the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operations. In January, immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota resulted in three federal officer shootings, including two that were fatal, prompting investigations and scrutiny of federal use-of-force practices.
Border Patrol agents fired weapons in 8 incidents during the 12-month period through September 2025, compared to 14 incidents in the prior year and 13 in the year before that. The incident comes as questions about accountability for federal officers involved in immigration enforcement continue to mount at federal, state, and local levels across the country.