Officials with the National Border Patrol Council say alleged drug smugglers attacked a female agent as she attempted to help a distressed migrant family. The incident occurred while the agent transported the alleged smugglers.

On January 10, “a Marfa Agent was transporting three illegal aliens who had been arrested for entering the United States illegally and carrying several backpacks containing approximately 135lbs. of marijuana,” National Border Patrol Council — Big Bend Local 2509 officials posted on Facebook. “While in transport, the Agent was flagged down by a family unit of three other illegal aliens that were lost and in distress approximately 1/4 mile from the US/Mexico border in a remote area along FM 170.”

The officials identified one of the migrant family members as a six-year-old child. The agent reportedly stopped to assist the family and “ensure the safety of the child.”

During this rescue of the distressed migrant family, the agent reportedly handcuffed the father and moved to place him in the rear of her vehicle with the three alleged marijuana smugglers, a union official told Breitbart Texas during a phone interview. As she opened the rear door, one of the suspects inside the vehicle allegedly shoved the door open and jumped out to attack the agent.

“Two of the three suspected drug smugglers attempted to overpower the Agent by assaulting her, restraining her, and trying to prevent her from drawing her service weapon or calling for assistance with her service radio,” the Facebook post continues. “The Agent managed to resist the attacks and draw her service weapon.”

The rear door of the patrol vehicle closed before the third suspect managed to get out.

The agent reportedly secured the three migrants of the family but the two suspected drug smugglers escaped to Mexico.

Breitbart Texas reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to confirm the facts laid out by the union officials.

“On January 10, 2020, two detainees escaped Border Patrol custody and fled to Mexico,” a CBP spokesman said in a written response. “An agent was pushed to the ground during the altercation, but was uninjured. The incident remains under investigation by federal authorities.”

Breitbart responded to the spokesman with additional questions to which the official replied, “We stand by our statement as the most accurate to reflect the situation.”

The CBP statement makes no mention of the lost migrant family.

Union said they spoke with the agent again and she confirmed the facts as laid out by the union. She reportedly added that she was not shoved to the ground, but was restrained by the first attacker until the second knocked them off balance. She then extricated herself from the altercation and drew her service weapon. The altercation ended at that point and the two escaped suspects fled the quarter-mile back into Mexico.

The union and CBP both stated the agent was not injured and the incident is being investigated by federal authorities.

Union officials told Breitbart Texas that the agent faced a difficult decision while transporting the three suspects — whether to stop and render aid to the distressed migrant family.

“Defending the Constitution of the United States only holds value if we as Federal Agents are defending and protecting those for whom the Constitution exists,” union officials wrote in the Facebook post. “We do this by arresting those who need to be arrested and helping those who need to be helped. Often these two duties may come in conflict with one another, as in this particular case, and it should be the primary goal of all who are in the Border Patrol’s positions of authority to support Agents when they are forced to make tough decisions in tough situations.”

Union officials stated the matter is being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an assault against a federal agent.