Illegal immigration is a massive problem in the United States. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents work tirelessly every single day to make sure that only those with the proper documentation are in our country. Unfortunately, doing so makes them the target of violence.

For example, an off-duty CBP agent was recently found on the side of the road after being kidnapped and tortured. He suffered serious injuries to the head, chest, and hands, but is expected to survive. This is exactly why we need stronger border security.

According to reports, the badly injured border patrol agent was found by an unidentified motorist on the side of the road in New Mexico at around 11 PM. Upon finding the agent, the motorist immediately alerted law enforcement officers. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital by Emergency Medical Services (EMS), where he remains in stable condition.

BREAKING: Border Patrol Agent Found Seriously Injured on Side of Roadway after Attack https://t.co/Mm1OZ2cqrA — BreitbartTexas (@BreitbartTexas) June 10, 2017

Shortly after the officer was found, the CBP released a statement about the incident. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is assisting in the investigation of a report of an assault against an off-duty Border Patrol agent assigned to the Deming, New Mexico, Border Patrol Station,” read the press release. “The agent was discovered on the side of the road by a motorist at 11 p.m. MDT. The agent suffered multiple, serious injuries to his head, chest and hands. Emergency Medical Services transported the agent to a nearby hospital where he is being treated for his wounds. The agent is in stable condition,” it continued, noting, “CBP is working closely with the FBI, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso Police Department on the ongoing investigation. CBP has informed its workforce of this report and has reminded its law enforcement personnel to be alert and aware of their surroundings and potential threats related to their service.”

Brandon Darby the editor-in-chief for Breitbart Texas claimed he had obtained a document from the El Paso Border Patrol Sector that provided some more additional information about what happened. “The document does specifically identify that a Border Patrol agent was kidnapped and assaulted,” he reported, adding, “the document also asserts that the FBI in El Paso, Texas, is leading the investigation.”

Robin Zielinski, a photographer for the Las Cruces Sun-News newspaper, provided the public with even more gruesome information on Twitter. “[A] credible source told me that fingers of off-duty Border Patrol agent were cut off during last night [sic] attack,” she tweeted.

BREAKING: Credible source told me that fingers of off-duty Border Patrol agent were cut off during last night attack https://t.co/SKOga2w0uB — Robin Zielinski (@Ikillthelight) June 11, 2017

Given the information provided by Darby and Zielinski, it’s likely that the CBP officer was abducted by people associated with the Juarez Cartel, which controls the region immediately south of where the agent worked. They are known to kidnap and torture their victims. Additionally, since the FBI is leading the investigation, the victim was probably targeted specifically because of his employment as a CBP officer. If this wasn’t the case, local law enforcement agencies would be the ones investigating.

Incidents like this only further underscore the importance of improving our country’s border security. Our weak border makes it extremely easy for dangerous people to sneak into our country and harm those trying to keep us safe. If we had a wall, it would be much more difficult for cartel members to harm people living in America.

It also highlights just how important removing dangerous people from our country is. Oftentimes, crimes like this are committed by people who shouldn’t even be in our country in the first place. If we did a better job finding and removing these dangerous people, situations like this could be completely avoided.

Fortunately, President Donald Trump understands this. He’s been working with Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions to make our country safer. Together, they’ve been focused on making sure our immigration enforcement officers are getting the support that they need. On top of that, Trump has also made progress securing funds to construct a border wall and is in the process of reviewing proposals.

It is extremely important that we do everything possible to protect our agents who patrol the border. Without them, dangerous people would flood into our country and take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society. The people responsible for the attack on this agent need to be found and punished as severely as possible.