One person is in critical condition following an officer-involved shooting with U.S. Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona.
Local authorities said they responded Tuesday, Jan. 27, to a reported shooting in Arivaca, an unincorporated community just north of the U.S.–Mexico border.
According to a statement from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a pickup truck near Arivaca at about 7:20 a.m. local time. The driver allegedly failed to yield, then fled on foot.
The DHS statement said the individual fired at an Air and Marine Operations helicopter and also fired at Border Patrol agents. Agents then returned fire, striking the driver. The driver was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital, DHS said.
The incident is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the FBI, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, according to DHS.
The Santa Rita Fire District (SRFD) said it was dispatched to the scene and found one person in custody and in critical condition. Emergency responders provided immediate medical care and transported the patient by medical helicopter to a regional trauma center, the district said.
In a separate statement, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) said it had been asked by federal officials to investigate a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arivaca.
PCSD said the request came from the FBI and that the sheriff’s office is conducting a parallel investigation, while also being asked to lead the use-of-force investigation involving the agent. The department said such requests are standard when a federal agency is involved in a shooting incident within Pima County, describing it as part of long-standing coordination practices intended to promote transparency.
The sheriff’s office urged residents to remain patient as the investigation continues, noting that these cases are complex and time-consuming. PCSD also announced that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos would hold a media briefing about the incident at 4:00 p.m. local time Tuesday.
The FBI said its investigation is focused on “an alleged assault on a federal officer,” adding that the subject was taken into custody. The bureau did not provide further details about the person’s condition or what led up to the shooting.
Prior to the Arivaca incident, NBC News reported that federal immigration officers have shot 12 people since September amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
In Minneapolis, two recent incidents involving federal immigration officers drew national attention after the deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot three times while driving her SUV after encountering ICE activity shortly after dropping her 6-year-old son off at school. Multiple cellphone videos captured an immigration agent firing additional shots through the open driver’s side window as Good appeared to be turning the steering wheel to drive away. Shortly afterward, members of the administration claimed Good was a “domestic terrorist” who deliberately tried to kill ICE agents with her vehicle. The agent involved has not been charged. Some use-of-force experts have criticized the shooting, arguing deadly force is justified only when there is an immediate threat to life.
Federal officials have said the FBI will handle the inquiry into Good’s death, arguing Minnesota authorities lack jurisdiction. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has called for “a fair, transparent investigation of all of the facts.”
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed on Jan. 24. DHS said in a statement posted on X that Pretti approached officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him, prompting an agent to fire “defensive shots.”
However, footage later verified by The New York Times appeared to contradict that account. The video showed Pretti — who was reportedly legally licensed to carry and had his firearm holstered — standing among protesters with both hands visible while holding his phone, as an agent sprayed pepper spray toward the group.
Eyewitnesses said Pretti was trying to help another woman who had been pushed to the sidewalk when agents pinned him down and fired several shots. A pediatrician at the scene said agents initially prevented medical care, and that they appeared more focused on counting bullet wounds than offering life-saving measures. The physician said they were later allowed to assess Pretti and attempt CPR, but EMS arrived soon after and Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.
