An illegal immigrant tried to stab a U.S. border agent as he was being apprehended in Arizona on Thursday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP said the immigrant tried to flee after agents apprehended about 10 immigrants who were found walking in the Arizona desert. A border patrol agent caught up to the immigrant and struggled to arrest him.
“During the struggle, the subject pulled out a knife and attempted to stab the agent,” CBP said. “The knife struck the agent’s handheld radio, which was attached to his body armor. The agent called for assistance while continuing to struggle with the subject.”
The immigrant was finally apprehended with help from an Air and Marine Operations copilot, when his helicopter was able to land nearby.
The incident is the latest of a handful of assaults against border agents in the last few months. In October, for example, an agent was elbowed in an eye socket when trying to arrest an immigrant who was seen climbing over the border fence.
President Trump has pledged to enforce all U.S. immigration laws, and spent his first week in office pledging to build a border wall in order to keep illegal immigrants out of the country.
