Father, son charged in shooting of ICE agent

A woman, at right, waits to be led into the Emergency entrance at McAllen Medical Center by police early Tuesday morning, July 3, 2012 after an ICE Agent was shot north of Hargill, Texas. / Delcia Lopez

(AP) McALLEN, Texas - A father and son were charged Thursday with shooting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in South Texas, prosecutors said Thursday.

Pedro Alvarado, 41, and his 18-year-old son Arnoldo Alvarado are charged with assault of a federal officer and knowingly using and carrying a firearm during a violent crime. Both are expected to appear before a federal judge Thursday morning. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the assault charge and a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the weapons count.

The agent, Kelton Harrison, was shot early Tuesday morning while conducting surveillance on an anticipated drug deal at a property near Hargill, 25 miles northeast of the border town of McAllen. Harrison required surgery but is expected to fully recover.

Arnoldo Alvarado told authorities that his father spotted what he considered a suspicious vehicle and told him and another person "to get the guns," according to a criminal complaint. The third person was a minor who was not named in the complaint and has been turned over to state authorities.

The three got into a car and approached the other vehicle with their lights off. The minor fired six times at the vehicle using a .22-caliber rifle and Arnoldo Alvarado fired twice with a 9-mm handgun, the complaint says.

Harrison then drove away and Pedro Alvarado chased after him, it says. Arnoldo Alvarado continued to fire his handgun at Harrison's vehicle, the complaint says.

Harrison eventually lost control of his car and was discovered, shot and injured, by other agents. Authorities subsequently searched a home in Hargill and arrested the two men and the minor.

Authorities said they also found two illegal immigrants, listed in online records as material witnesses in the case, but did not say if they suspected they were involved in the shooting.

Attorneys were not listed in online records for either Alvarado.

[lloydbest1]

There's a lot of unanswered questions here. Was the agent actually on private property? If so wouldn't it be smart for someone or three to ask what the motorist inside was doing there and then ask him to leave? If not, then why would that lot think the vehicle presented a threat? If it's off premises, then it none of the Alvarado's business what it was doing or why.

"Get the guns". If A. senior actually said that, it speaks to a level of paranoia that borders on an art form. On top of that, Petey and Arnie had the crashing stupidity to chase this dude for maybe several miles. Didn't these dunces learn anything from the Zimmerman fiasco!? Once you go after someone who is fleeing, you ain't standing your ground anymore, you become the aggressor.

There's a lot of shi--- er, stuff that will come out as these fools are run through the criminal justice system but one thing I am very confident in is this: These imbeciles are, in addition to unjustified assault and attempted homicide, guilty of gross stupidity.

And Mr. Harrison, if you're reading this, may your recovery be quick and with no residual effects.

[I am the Tea Party Leader]

Now matter how you slice it. This will continue as long as our immigration laws are not upheld. Enforce all the laws all the time.

[ohitsubob]

We've been trying that in Arizona, but Eric Holder and the DOJ want to protect the illegals.

[Kalameredith]

There's no surprise. Obama has give all illegal aliens the go ahead to break every one of our laws. We are no longer a country of laws. We are run by a tyrant and his cohorts in the Ministry of Propaganda, the press.

[Scullymf]

The article doesn't say that the Alvarados were illegal immigrants or even immigrants at all. This actually looks like an idiot vigilante shoting at a "supicious" car.

[gabe97]

Kalameredith: are you this idiot by nature or you were born this way? really?? ask yourself that question every morning when you wake up!!

[John782011]

best of luck for the agent's recovery.