A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and wounded in Arizona near the US-Mexico border on Tuesday, the agency said in a statement.

The agent was shot just south of the town of Arivaca and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the statement. Arivaca is just 11 miles north of Mexico. (RELATED: Abolishing ICE Looks Likely To Become 2020 Campaign Issue For Democrats)

“The agent was shot multiple times” and his “back and chest vest stopped” the shots to his torso, a source with direct knowledge of the shooting told The Daily Caller News Foundation. The agent was also shot in the leg and the hand in what appeared to be an ambush, according to the source.

His hand-held radio was shot in the encounter, and he retreated to his truck to radio for back up, according to the source.

Several people in the area of the shooting were taken into custody, according to Border Patrol.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.