A Border Patrol agent has pleaded guilty to striking a man who tried to jump over a border fence in Southern California, a rare finding of criminal culpability for an agency frequently criticized for its treatment of migrants.

The agent, Jason McGilvray, hit the man in the face after he was taken into custody in Imperial County, Calif., on Feb. 16, according to court documents filed last week.

Mr. McGilvray was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor. He also resigned from the Border Patrol and agreed not to apply for a position to be a federal law enforcement officer in the future. Mr. McGilvray had been with the Border Patrol since 2006, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Few details were available Wednesday about the encounter between Mr. McGilvray, who was stationed in Calexico, Calif., and the man, identified in court documents only as “B.S.S.” It’s not clear if the man was injured or what happened to him after he was taken into custody.