By Steve Neavling
A New Mexico man who shot a Border Patrol agent twice in the chest during a traffic stop last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
Robert Esquivel, 25, pleaded guilty to attempted murder of an officer of the United States, aggravated assault of an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, the Justice Department announced.
Esquivel was arrested in January 2023 after he crashed his car while fleeing agents.
The encounter occurred on New Mexico Highway 146 near Animas at about 11:30 a.m on Jan. 5, when an unidentified agent pulled over Esquivel for “unusual behavior.”
During the traffic stop, the agent asked five passengers inside the car where they were from.
The passengers responded that they were from Mexico and in the country illegally. When the agent asked Esquivel to get out of the car, he opened the door but “suddenly” fired a handgun at the agent, federal prosecutors said.
The agent sought cover and returned fire as Esquivel sped off. That’s when the agent realized he had been shot while wearing a bulletproof vest.
Esquivel crashed his car a few miles down the road, and a gun was found more than 100 yards from where the car had flipped.
The migrants told agents they urged Esquivel to stop the car after the shooting, but he responded, “Shut up.”
The migrants were detained, and two were treated at a hospital in El Paso.
Esquivel later told agents he was transporting the migrants to Deming, and he hid the gun under his legs to conceal it from the agent, according to the complaint.
Esquivel said he fired at the agent because he “panicked.”
He told agents he was supposed to receive $300 over migrant after delivering them to Deming.
The agent sustained only minor injuries because of the bullet proof vest.
