The elite tactical Border Patrol unit nabbed a man believed to be responsible for the killing of five people in Cleveland, Texas, a Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) agent confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation late Tuesday.
San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said authorities arrested a man believed to be Francisco Oropesa, 38, in Cut and Shoot, Texas, according to NBC. Oropesa, who is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, allegedly conducted an “execution style” killing of his neighbors, Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Daniel Enrique Laso Guzman, 8; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31 and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, on Friday. (RELATED: New GOP Border Security Bill Would Bar Migrants From Using Arrest Warrants As IDs At Airports)
“The U.S. Border Patrol was requested for assistance in the manhunt for the killer responsible for the senseless murders in Cleveland, TX. Members from the U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) deployed to Cleveland, TX and quickly employed tactics learned from lessons learned from the recent manhunts in Pennsylvania and New York. Working with information provided by intelligence sources, the killer was surrounded and taken into custody without incident,” the BORTAC agent, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, told the DCNF.
BREAKING: Source tells me @CBP’s Tactical Unit (BORTAC) in a joint operation with other law enforcement just nabbed the 5x deported shooter just outside of Cleveland, Tx.
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 3, 2023
“The professionalism of BORTAC and the unit’s motto of Erigere Rapidus stands true in every deployment. Our prayers go to the families and the community of Cleveland, TX,” the official added.
BORTAC agents also entered elementary school classrooms during the Uvalde, Texas, shooting that occurred in May 2022 when local law enforcement waited to take such action.
Agents with the elite unit are trained by military special forces veterans.
“So, we’re talking about basic operator level skills to include pistol and carbine marksmanship, which are the tools of the trade, and we’re talking about doing what’s the worst case, as well as a wide range of tactical proficiencies that include hand to hand combat and that is like controlling suspects. Things that need to do with night vision devices, infrared lasers, small unit tactics, close quarters battle as well as team leadership,” a spokesperson for Northern Red, a tactical training company that likely trained some of the agents that responded in Uvalde, previously told the DCNF.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller confirmed Wednesday that BORTAC arrested the suspect.
“Tonight, agents from the Border Patrol’s elite BORTAC unit apprehended the suspect without incident. Air and Marine Operations provided overwatch surveillance and aerial support to assist the multi-jurisdictional efforts,” Miller said in a statement early Wednesday.
“In small towns and communities like Cleveland, Texas, the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection – in particular, the U.S. Border Patrol – provide integral law enforcement support to local authorities, protecting and serving the communities they live in. Tonight’s actions clearly demonstrate that our agents and officers bring incredible capabilities to bear every day as they work to keep our communities safe,” Miller added.
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