SEATTLE - More than a year after he shot at a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a federal judge sentenced Roberto Esquivel to 19 years in prison, the U.S. District Attorney of Ney Mexico announced on July 19. Esquivel was convicted of attempted murder of an officer, aggravated assault of an officer with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm and conspiracy to transport migrants in the U.S. illegally.
On January of 2023, Esquivel agreed to transport five undocumented immigrants from El Paso to Deming, in New Mexico. According to court reports and the district attorney's office, Esquivel was driving on New Mexico State Road 146 when he was pulled over by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. As the agent approached the vehicle, Esquivel removed a gun from the center console and placed it under his right leg. When the agent asked Esquivel to exit the vehicle, the 25-year-old began shooting, hitting the agent twice in the torso area.
