Suspects in shooting of CBP officer in NYC indicted on state charges
Two men arrested in the shooting an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer last month in New York City were indicted Wednesday on new charges.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for a news conference to announce the state charges against Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, and Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22.
"Mora, the alleged shooter, is now charged with one count of attempted murder in both the first and second degrees. Both defendants are also charged with various counts of assault, attempted robbery, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon," Bragg said, adding he expects the men to be arraigned later this month.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security previously said the two would also face federal charges in the case. DHS has said both suspects were in the country illegally and had criminal records, and the NYPD added they were also wanted in active investigations.
"They shouldn't have been in the country and if they were deported and or not allowed to be in this country, this tragedy wouldn't have happened," Ricky Patel, special agent in charge for Homeland Security in New York, said during the news conference.
Bragg said the shooting was part of a "violent robbery spree" that the suspects planned in advance via text messages, and that they stole a woman's cellphone earlier in the evening.
"They were dangerous. They did not care who they were harming on our streets, and it is imperative that this apprehension was made," Adams said. "This is the collaboration that you're seeing with our federal partners, the NYPD and this office, that we are continuously bringing dangerous people to justice."
Off-duty CBP officer shot at Fort Washington Park in NYC
Police said the 42-year-old off-duty officer was sitting on the rocks with a friend near the historic Little Red Lighthouse at Fort Washington Park under the George Washington Bridge when the suspects approached them on a moped shortly before midnight on July 19.
"One male dismounted the scooter, displayed a firearm and approached the two who were just trying to enjoy the city, like so many of us do during the hot evening hour," the mayor said after the shooting.
The officer was shot in the face and forearm and he returned fire, hitting one of the suspects in the leg and groin, police said. He was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem in stable condition and was expected to make a full recovery.
Bragg commended the officer for "acting bravely and courageously" while off duty.
"Fortunately, he has been discharged from the hospital. However, he has a long road ahead of him as far as recovery and everything that goes along with it," Patel said. "In no means is he OK yet, he's got a long road, and we're going to continue to pray and hope for his recovery."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, visited the wounded officer in the hospital and vowed to ramp up enforcement against so-called sanctuary cities like New York. The president, himself, also posted about the shooting on social media, blaming a flawed immigration system run by Democrats.