US Federal Agent Murdered in Mexico

Jaime Zapata

Two American federal agents were ambushed by gunmen in central Mexico on Tuesday, leaving one dead and the other wounded but currently in stable condition. The deceased was Jaime J. Zapata, an agent with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Zapata was a native of Brownsville, Texas, had been with the agency for four years, and had been on loan from the agency office in Laredo, Texas. The two agents had been attached to the US embassy in the capital Mexico City at the time of the attack.

Map of San Luis Potosi

Zapata and the other agent had been driving from Mexico City toward the city of Monterrey in northern Mexico when they were ambushed at a "narco-blockade" a fake roadblock commonly used by drug traffickers. The attack occurred in the state of San Luis Potosi, located in central Mexico, around 3 pm. While the pair were driving on the highway, they were forced to stop due to vehicles placed by the gunmen across the road. The gunmen then shot at both agents, mortally wounding Zapata, who succumbed after being discovered, and wounding the other agent with gunshots to the leg and arm. The assailants have not yet been identified, but are most presumably members of a drug cartel. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that, despite the attack, the US remained committed to supporting Mexico in its fight against drug cartels.