Officials say the 34-year-old opened fire on agents and a helicopter during a pursuit near Arivaca.
ARIVACA, AZ — U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and wounded a man Tuesday morning near the U.S.-Mexico line after authorities say he fired at agents during a foot chase and shot at a federal helicopter along West Arivaca Road.
The shooting, which happened Jan. 27 in rural Pima County about 10 miles north of the border, comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement this month. Investigators identified the man as Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, a U.S. citizen with an active arrest warrant linked to an earlier smuggling case. He underwent surgery and was in serious but stable condition by Tuesday night, according to local officials. The FBI, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility opened parallel investigations into the agents’ use of force and the events that led to gunfire.
Authorities said the incident began around daybreak when agents tried to stop a vehicle connected to suspected human smuggling along West Arivaca Road near milepost 15. Several people ran from the car; the driver fled. Agents later found the vehicle again and pursued the suspected driver on foot through desert brush. During the chase, officials said, Schlegel fired multiple times, including at an occupied Customs and Border Protection helicopter circling overhead. Agents returned fire and struck him. “Our agents were fired upon during the pursuit and responded,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, noting that deputies and medics from the Santa Rita Fire District helped stabilize the wounded man before he was flown to a Tucson-area trauma center.
Schlegel, of Arizona, had an outstanding warrant related to a prior federal smuggling conviction, investigators said. An FBI spokesperson said he also faces new counts that could include assault on a federal officer, human smuggling and unlawful possession of a firearm. Officials described the stretch of ranchland and canyons west of Arivaca as a corridor long used by smuggling groups who try to avoid the main highway checkpoints. The Sheriff’s Department said it was asked by the FBI to handle the use-of-force review, a step it called standard when a federal agency is involved in a shooting in Pima County. Video of parts of the incident exists, authorities said, though they did not specify whether it came from aerial surveillance, nearby cameras or bystanders. Whether any agents were wearing body cameras was not immediately known.
Records show Schlegel was previously convicted in a 2023 smuggling case and later failed to return to custody, prompting a warrant that remained active into 2025. Border agents in southern Arizona have reported a rise in pursuits along back roads near Arivaca, Sasabe and Amado as traffic has shifted away from the Lukeville crossing, which saw periodic closures. The area’s rugged terrain, limited cell coverage and proximity to the international line have complicated responses and evidence collection in past shootings involving federal officers. Tuesday’s confrontation was the latest in a series of January incidents involving immigration authorities nationwide that have drawn added attention to use-of-force policies.
Investigators said agents who fired their weapons were placed on administrative duties pending interviews and a routine internal review by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will compile witness accounts, scene diagrams and ballistic testing before turning its findings over to county prosecutors and federal authorities. The FBI opened a criminal investigation focused on the suspect’s alleged assaults on agents and the helicopter crew. Officials did not release the number of shots fired or how many agents discharged their weapons. No agents were reported injured. Authorities said any federal charging documents will be filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson; initial appearances typically occur within 48 to 72 hours when a suspect is hospitalized and in federal custody.
Residents in Arivaca reported low-flying aircraft and road closures near milepost markers as investigators worked for several hours to process the scene in mesquite and ocotillo scrub. “It’s not unusual to hear helicopters out here, but this was different,” said Maria Alvarez, who runs a small market in town and drove around a closure to open her store. A rancher who asked to be identified by last name only, Gutierrez, said agents and deputies canvassed properties for potential shell casings and asked about camera footage along fencelines. The Sheriff’s Department said it would release more details once evidence was cataloged and witnesses were re-interviewed.
The case remained in its early stages late Tuesday. Schlegel was listed in serious but stable condition after surgery, and investigators said they expected to update the public once the initial interviews and evidence logs were complete. A charging decision and the release of agent identities are the next major steps, with briefings likely later this week in Tucson.
Author note: Last updated January 28, 2026.