Off-Duty Border Agent Shot in the Face by Illegal Migrant

A horrifying late-night robbery in Manhattan ended in a bloody shootout when an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent was ambushed by two armed thugs — one of them an illegal immigrant — while sitting with a companion in a riverside park. The agent was shot in the face but managed to return fire, striking one of the suspects multiple times.

The brazen attack happened just before midnight Saturday along the Hudson River in Fort Washington Park. The 42-year-old federal agent, whose name has not been released, was sitting on a rock with a woman when two men rolled up on a moped and tried to rob them at gunpoint, according to law enforcement sources.

“They didn’t expect him to fight back,” said one NYPD source. “They picked the wrong guy.”

After a brief scuffle, one of the suspects opened fire, hitting the agent in the face and forearm. But despite the serious injuries, the agent pulled his own weapon and fired back, striking one of the assailants three times.

The injured suspect — a 21-year-old Dominican national who reportedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 — later staggered into a Bronx hospital and is now in police custody. The second suspect fled the scene and remains on the loose.

Authorities are still searching for the second suspect and reviewing surveillance footage from the area.

The wounded agent is currently in surgery and is expected to survive, according to officials.

This latest violent encounter involving an illegal immigrant is reigniting fierce debate over border security and New York City’s controversial sanctuary city policies.

“This is what happens when we let criminals roam freely in our parks and cities,” said one retired ICE officer. “This agent took a bullet protecting himself and his friend — and likely saved lives by shooting back.”

The NYPD and federal officials are continuing their investigation. Charges against the wounded suspect are expected to include attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.