In a shocking late-night attack, an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was shot in the face and forearm during a robbery in Manhattan’s Fort Washington Park, the New York Post reported.
Around 11:50 p.m. on Saturday, the officer and a female companion were ambushed by two men on a moped along the Hudson River, leading to a violent confrontation that left the officer wounded but alive, thanks to his quick response and nearby police assistance.
The incident unfolded when the pair, sitting on a rock, were suddenly approached by the robbers, one of whom opened fire, striking the 42-year-old officer in two places.
Not one to back down, the CBP officer drew his weapon and returned fire, hitting one of the suspects multiple times in a display of grit that would make any patriot proud.
The wounded suspect, identified as Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a 21-year-old Dominican national, was struck three times and later sought treatment at a Bronx hospital, where he was taken into custody.
The second assailant, however, remains on the loose, leaving residents understandably on edge as police continue their search.
Mora’s background paints a grim picture—he entered the U.S. via the southern border in April 2023, was released due to overcrowded detention facilities, and received a notice to appear before a judge, which didn’t stick.
Despite an immigration judge issuing a removal order later that year, Mora stayed in the country, racking up a string of arrests in New York for serious offenses, each time released without bail under local policies.
From assaulting a pregnant woman to threatening another individual with a machete, and even facing kidnapping and weapons charges in Massachusetts, Mora’s rap sheet reads like a cautionary tale of failed oversight.
New York City’s sanctuary policies meant that, despite the deportation order, Mora was never turned over to ICE, a decision that now looms large over this violent encounter. How many more wake-up calls do policymakers need?
President Trump weighed in on Truth Social, stating, “An incredible CBP Officer was shot in the face by an Illegal Alien Monster freed into the Country under Joe Biden.” While the frustration is palpable, it’s clear the system’s cracks are letting dangerous individuals slip through.
Mayor Eric Adams, visiting the officer at Harlem Hospital on Sunday, said, “Our goal is to get dangerous people off the streets.” Yet, with sanctuary laws tying hands, one wonders if the mayor’s words can match the reality on the ground.
Adams also noted, “We’re not allowed to coordinate with deportation, civil deportation only.” It’s a bureaucratic dodge that leaves law enforcement hamstrung while citizens—and brave officers—pay the price.
The CBP officer, who underwent surgery on Sunday, is thankfully in stable condition, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem set to visit Monday, a gesture of support for a hero who stared down evil. Nearby police, responding to a separate cellphone theft just minutes earlier, likely saved his life—a reminder of the thin blue line’s daily valor.
