Investigators explore possibility that Border Patrol agent died in accident

Alfredo Corchado

Nearly two weeks after a U.S. Border Patrol agent died near here, investigators are exploring whether an accident, not an attack, is the cause of his death. Evidence gathered at the scene does not suggest an assault, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation say. The possibility that Rogelio Martinez and his partner were sideswiped by a tractor trailer’s side mirror on a moonless night is growing theory, they said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. When asked specifically about the possibility of an accident, FBI spokeswoman Jeanette Harper confirmed Wednesday that investigators are exploring that scenario, but she said they had not ruled out an attack by immigrants or drug traffickers, or other scenarios. “We’re looking at everything,” Harper said, adding it will be weeks, if not months before the investigation is completed. “We’re doing our due diligence throughout the course of the investigation. The FBI role is to determine the facts in this tragic incident.” Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo, one of the first responders on the scene, believes a tractor trailer could have accidentally sideswiped Martinez and his partner while they were standing near a culvert just feet from Interstate 10. The highway is a heavily traveled route for interstate truckers and there have been a number of accidents, some of them caused by wind drafts, or drivers overcorrecting on the lonely road, Carrillo said. “From the beginning we were radioed to assist in the incident as an injury, not an assault," he said. "That’s the way it was communicated to us. “If this was an assault, believe me, as sheriff, I’d be the first one out there emphasizing safety in our community and with our deputies, pairing them up,” he added. “But from what I know and see, that was not the case here.” Union officials insisted their own review is accurate, citing unspecified on-the-ground information. They have insisted Martinez’s death underscores the need for more manpower and resources to secure the border. “The injuries to Martinez could not have happened the way the media has been trying to portray,” said Stuart Harris, vice president of the Border Patrol Council Local 1929. “Agent Martinez was ultimately murdered. The agents were tracking footprints and were ultimately ambushed, and assaulted by, I don’t know who, but it could have been illegal immigrants or drug traffickers.”...more