by San Diego, CA – A 59-year-old U.S. citizen from Los Angeles is hospitalized after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers opened fire Monday night at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, police said.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the incident began around 9 p.m. when the man attempted to evade inspection and drove toward a group of officers. CBP officers opened fire, shattering the vehicle’s glass.
Police said the man was not struck by gunfire but suffered facial cuts from the broken glass. He surrendered at the scene and was transported to a local hospital.
Investigation Underway
The San Diego Police Department’s homicide unit is investigating the use of force. Once the investigation is complete, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether the officers bear any criminal liability.
The three officers involved have 22, six, and two years of service, respectively. Their names have not been released.
Past Incidents at Border Ports
While shootings at border ports are rare, this is not the first violent incident at Otay Mesa or nearby San Ysidro in recent years:
- Sept. 2024: CBP officer shot and injured a man in a restricted area, reportedly armed with a screwdriver.
- Dec. 2021: CBP officer shot at a speeding sedan carrying Russian asylum seekers at San Ysidro.
- June 2019: CBP officers shot and killed a U.S. citizen who opened fire on them at San Ysidro’s secondary inspection area.
Accountability and Oversight
Customs and Border Protection officers are rarely prosecuted or disciplined in shooting cases. The Southern Border Communities Coalition reports that no CBP or Border Patrol officer has ever been convicted of an on-duty homicide, despite 343 deaths linked to agents since 2010.
In 2023, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility reviewed 1,068 use-of-force cases, determining that 32 violated agency policy. The agency did not release information on any resulting discipline.
There have been convictions in isolated excessive force cases, including a 2024 case in which a former CBP officer in El Paso, Texas, received two 10-year prison sentences for violent incidents in 2019 and 2020, and a 2022 case in which a CBP officer was sentenced to one year for a 2019 incident at Calexico.
A 2022 Supreme Court ruling expanded immunity for federal agents, making it harder for citizens to bring civil suits for excessive force.
CBP is the largest federal law enforcement agency, overseeing both Border Patrol operations between ports and agents stationed at official ports of entry.
