By Steve Neavling
An El Paso man who shot a Border Patrol agent twice has been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Robert Esquivel was sentenced Friday after being convicted of attempted murder of an officer, aggravated assault of an officer with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm and conspiracy to transport migrants in the U.S. illegally, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The agent pulled over Esquivel on a rural stretch of New Mexico highway during a “routine inspection” when the man opened fire, striking the agent twice in the torso area.
In the car with Esquivel, a U.S. citizen, were five people who had entered the country illegally on four different occasions.
The agent’s ballistic vest is believed to have saved the agent’s life, according to the district attorney’s office.
After the shooting, Esquivel fled the scene before losing control and flipping the car multiple times. As he fled, several people in the car urged Esquivel to stop the vehicle, according t0 court records.
