FBI investigating Border Patrol agent's death as 'potential assault;' rewards total $45,000

FBI officials on Tuesday said they are investigating several scenarios that could have led to the death of a Border Patrol agent and severely injured his partner, among them a "potential assault on federal officers."

"There are a number of possible scenarios; however, in this instance we are going to pursue the one that is most challenging as it is presented to us, which is a potential assault on federal officers,” FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. said. “As we collect the evidence, the rest of the investigation will shape itself.”

U.S. Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, died Sunday after he and another agent responded to activity at about 11:20 p.m. near Interstate 10 east of Van Horn, which is about 120 miles east of El Paso.

Martinez was flown to an El Paso hospital, where he died from injuries he sustained in the incident.

The other agent, whose name has not been released, remains in critical but stable condition at an El Paso hospital.

FBI officials said both agents sustained traumatic head injuries and broken bones.

Chris Cabrera, spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council union, told the El Paso Times that the agents were struck with rocks in what union officials believe was an "ambush.”

But a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation told the Associated Press that Martinez might have fallen into a 14-foot culvert.

More: 'He loved his job,' says father of El Paso Border Patrol agent killed over the weekend

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident happened after dark in an area that's known for drug activity and where agents often look for drugs in culverts.

The area where the incident occurred is about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border and near Interstate 10, a major highway stretching from California to Florida.

U.S. Border Patrol Big Bend Sector Acting Chief Victor M. Velazquez said Martinez's death and the injuries sustained by the other agent show the public the dangers agents face every day.

“It is times like these that are the hardest for all the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol,” Velazquez said. “It is always hard when you lose a young and dedicated agent. The job of the Border Patrol is inherently dangerous.”

He added, “Our men and women deal with a constant presence of the unknown, ranging from those seeking illegal entry in to the United States, smugglers of human cargo and/or drugs, transnational crime organizations and dangerous terrain.”

The FBI announced that the agency is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone who can provide information about the incident. The reward is separate from the $20,000 offered by Texas Crime Stoppers.

“This is the most important investigation at the El Paso division of the FBI," Buie said. "The FBI, along with partners — federal, state and local — will be aggressively investigating all leads coming from the public regarding this investigation that is ongoing.”

The incident spurred national attention this week. Several leaders including President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn have suggested that the agents were attacked.

In a tweet on Sunday, Trump connected the incident to his calls for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt," Trump wrote in the tweet. "We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Buie said he has not briefed the president on the investigation and doesn’t know what information the president has been given. He said the FBI will track all leads and work with law enforcement partners in the U.S. and Mexico.

On Tuesday, the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant advocacy group, released a statement condemning "the irrational aggression" against the two agents.

The statement said the attack did not "reflect the behavior and attitude of the vast majority of border residents and immigrant families, who have in fact, worked hard to create a safe environment by engaging with law enforcement agencies to report crimes and abuses."

"We grieve the death of Border Patrol agent Rogelio Martinez and, on behalf of hundreds of immigrant families of El Paso sector, we extend our condolences to his family and to his peers at the Border Patrol Sector of El Paso."

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the FBI at 800-225-5324. Tips also can be made online at tips.fbi.gov.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.