Juarez police chief says he has forwarded video of incident to U.S. consul

JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) — Mexican authorities are investigating an alleged confrontation between an American federal agent and the local police in Juarez, Mexico.

The altercation took place on the evening of March 30 and involved a high-speed chase of an employee of the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Police Chief Raul Avila Ibarra told Mexican news outlets.

Avila told El Diario de Juarez that he spoke to U.S. Consul John Tavenner in regard to the high-speed chase, which began on the corner of Ejercito Nacional and Fracisco Villarreal avenues in Juarez.

Avila said his agents tried to flag down a vehicle for speeding but that the driver accelerated. The vehicle sped toward the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, where security guards declined to provide information about the driver, Avila told El Diario.

The police chief said he forwarded police car security camera footage to Tavenner. Avila said the Mexican Attorney General’s Office is also investigating. He identified the employee as an agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) working out of the consulate.

Other Mexican news reports stated that Juarez police shot at the fleeing vehicle, but Avila said no shots were fired during the pursuit. Later in the day, Juarez Mayor Armando Cabada said his officers might have fired warning shots into the air, but not with the intention of harming the agent.

Border Report contacted ICE regarding the published reports and a spokeswoman referred questions to agency headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border.