A man armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a U.S. Border Patrol facility near the U.S.-Mexico border early Monday, injuring a police officer before being shot and killed by authorities, according to law enforcement officials.
The gunman was identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, 27, who police say fired dozens of rounds at federal agents outside the facility around 5:50 a.m. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said Mosqueda wore a utility vest and appeared heavily armed.
“When agents exited the building, he opened fire,” Rodriguez said during a press conference. “There was a considerable amount of ammunition recovered at the scene.”
One McAllen police officer, a 10-year veteran of the department, was struck in the knee while responding to the incident. Rodriguez said it was unclear whether the injury was caused by shrapnel or a bullet. The officer was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Mosqueda drove to the facility in a white two-door sedan that had lettering—possibly Latin—painted on the driver’s side. Rodriguez declined to speculate on the meaning of the writing or its significance.
“What it means, or whether or not it is an underlying reason for him being here, I do not know,” he said.
After the shooting, authorities discovered additional weapons, backpacks, and “many, many more rounds of ammunition” in Mosqueda’s vehicle and gear, according to Rodriguez.
Hours before the attack, Mosqueda’s father was pulled over around 2:30 a.m. by Weslaco police, roughly 20 miles east of McAllen. According to police spokesperson Heriberto Caraveo, the father informed officers that he was searching for his son, who had mental health issues and was carrying weapons.
Mosqueda was reported missing from Weslaco around 4 a.m., just over an hour before the shooting took place. He had recently been linked to an address in Michigan, police said.
“An hour and a few minutes later, he was at this particular location opening fire on the federal building and our federal agents,” Rodriguez said.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and authorities have not confirmed whether Mosqueda acted alone. The FBI has taken over the investigation, and federal officials said they are reviewing the incident in coordination with local law enforcement.
“There is no ongoing threat to the public,” Rodriguez said, but emphasized that the investigation is still active.
The shooting comes amid a heightened focus on border enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration. A new federal spending bill signed last week significantly expands immigration enforcement funding. White House officials have reportedly set a target of 3,000 immigration arrests per day, a sharp increase from earlier levels.
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have not yet released official statements regarding the shooting.
