A management-level supervisor of the Tucson Police Department reportedly refused to assist U.S. Border Patrol agents in a search for an escaped criminal alien who assaulted a federal agent. The official cited the “recent political climate.”

Border Patrol agents apprehended a Honduran national with a prior criminal history near the Nogales Station in southern Arizona on Friday. During the arrest, the Honduran violently assaulted the agent and attempted to flee the scene. The man was apprehended only after reaching a state of exhaustion, according to U.S. Border Patrol Agent Art Del Cueto, acting in his capacity as president of National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) Local 2544, and vice president of the NBPC national organization.

The criminal alien complained of not feeling well after the pursuit. Agents took the man to a hospital in Tucson for evaluation and treatment. During his medical treatment, the illegal alien managed to escape, Del Cueto stated during an interview Saturday morning.

As agents began a search for the escapee, immigration protesters arrived on the scene. The protesters reportedly blocked a Border Patrol supervisor’s vehicle. The agents were forced to move to a Tucson Police Department (TPD) parking lot to set up an incident command center. At first, TPD officials cooperated with the search and use of their facility.

“One of our agents informed me that a TPD ‘management-level supervisor’ advised the agents that his department could not continue with assisting the Border Patrol,” the local union president stated. “He said they were ‘busy with local issues.’”

De Cueto said the agents were then told, “Due to the recent political climate, the Tucson Police Department could no longer assist the Border Patrol.” The agents were then asked to pack up the incident command center and leave the property.

Del Cueto noted this was not an immigration search, but rather, a search for a man with a prior criminal history “so desperate that he would assault a federal agent.”

“I can almost understand if they were too busy with local issues to assist in the search,” he explained. “But, there is no excuse for kicking our agents off the property and delaying our search efforts.”

“This man being on the loose is a danger to the community and any other law enforcement officer he might encounter,” Del Cueto told Breitbart Texas.

He noted that TPD Chief Chris Magnus was not present at the time of the incident.

Breitbart Texas reached out to the Tucson Police Department via phone and email for comment. The department’s officials were not immediately available to respond.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.

Brandon Darby serves as Breitbart Texas Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.