Border shooting involving Indiana National Guard troop in El Paso under investigation

Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times
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An investigation is underway into a shooting involving an Indiana National Guard trooper and a migrant at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, authorities said.

The Texas Military Department confirmed a National Guard trooper, stationed on the border as part of the Operation Lone Star border security initiative, was involved in a shooting April 14 at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso. No further information was released.

Texas National Guard and Texas State Troopers use anti-riot gear to prevent asylum seekers from entering further into U.S. territory after the migrants crossed the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 22, 2024.
Texas National Guard and Texas State Troopers use anti-riot gear to prevent asylum seekers from entering further into U.S. territory after the migrants crossed the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 22, 2024.

El Paso District Attorney's Office officials confirmed an investigation is underway but could not comment further since it is ongoing. Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Border Patrol officials directed all questions to the Texas Military Department.

El Paso Fire Department officials said they have no records of responding to a shooting Sunday near the border in El Paso.

The Indiana National Guard told the Indianapolis Star it was aware of the incident but released no further information.

"The Indiana National Guard is aware of the incident that happened Sunday, April 14," reads a statement from the National Guard's media department. "We support and care for our soldiers and airmen supporting Operation Lone Star."

The Star reported 50 Indiana soldiers were sent to El Paso to support the Texas National Guard's Operation Lone Star at the southern border. The Indiana troopers are set to be stationed in El Paso for 10 months.

Operation Lone Star is a border security initiative launched by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in response to large amounts of migrants, mostly seeking asylum, who have gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border fence across Texas, including several hundred in the El Paso area.

Abbott has not addressed the shooting investigation as of Monday afternoon. In a Monday X, formerly known as Twitter, post, Abbott praised the National Guard troops for "holding the line."

The troops have patrolled the border in an effort to keep the migrants from illegally entering the U.S. The soldiers have placed concertina wire barriers to combat the migrants from crossing the border.

The National Guard troops and the migrants have clashed in recent weeks including a "riot" resulting in nine migrants arrested on felony state charges. The nine migrants are accused of assaulting two National Guard troops as more than 680 migrants broke through the concertina wire and rushed the troops in an effort to illegally enter the U.S.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Border shooting involving El Paso migrant under investigation