Border Patrol agents violated rules on two separate occasions when they fired upon fleeing vehicles, a review board said.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that a review of seven incidents by the National Use of Force Review Board found that on two occasions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents violated agency guidelines on the use of deadly force when firing upon fleeing suspects in vehicles.

In once incident, an agent was given a letter of reprimand after firing at a fleeing vehicle without first ascertaining where his partner was, potentially putting the partner at risk, the review board found. A second incident involving four Border Patrol agents in which at least three fired upon the fleeing vehicle resulted in suspensions for three agents.

ADVERTISEMENT

The board's review also found that the overall number of incidents in which Border Patrol agents fired their service weapons decreased between 2017 and 2018 from 17 to 15 incidents. The record high sits at 55, set in fiscal 2012.

A spokesperson for CBP did not immediately return a request for comment on the yearly figures from The Hill.

Instances where officers use their service weapons are sent to the board for review after state and federal prosecutors decide not to press charges over the incidents, and the final review process can take years, a CBP official told the AP.