A Border Patrol agent was reportedly killed in the line of duty and another was injured

A Border Patrol agent was reportedly killed in the line of duty and another was injured. Federal authorities are investigating a shooting on the Arizona-Mexico border on Tuesday that left...

A Border Patrol agent was reportedly killed in the line of duty and another was injured. Federal authorities are investigating a shooting on the Arizona-Mexico border on Tuesday that left a federal Border Patrol agent dead and another injured. Three patrol agents from the Bryant Terry Border Patrol Station were on patrol in the Naco Desert, 100 miles from Tucson, early Tuesday morning when they discovered that ground sensors had been triggered. The three patrol agents rode out to check and were attacked five miles from the border. Nicholas Avian, 30, was killed and one of his colleagues was injured in the ankle and hip. The third was not injured. The injured patrolman was admitted to a local hospital. The FBI and the Cochise County Sheriff's Office held a press conference in Naco on Tuesday afternoon. FBI officials said that the Bureau of Investigation and local police dispatched four helicopters, off-road vehicles, and a large number of mounted police officers to search the crime scene, and it may take several days to complete the report. The spokesman declined to say whether investigators had recovered gun shell casings, saying only that no arrests had been made, but authorities suspected that more than one person opened fire on the patrolman. The Arizona commander of Customs Enforcement and Border Protection expressed condolences to Ivian's widow and two young daughters. The White House also sent U.S. President Obama's condolences to Ivian's family on the same day. President Obama said in the letter: "I am proud of Ivian's selfless service to his country." The patrol station was renamed just two weeks ago after former Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry who was killed in the line of duty. This is the first time a patrol member has been killed since the patrol began fighting with Mexican gangs in 2010. Alberta ranger Brian Terry was killed in the same area in December 2010, sparking investigations by Congress and the Department of Justice. A failed "Fast and Furious" gun-tracing program by U.S. federal agencies resulted in 2,000 guns falling into the hands of Mexican drug cartels and other criminals. Two of the guns were found in Terry's murder. The U.S. government has installed thousands of sensors along the border to prevent illegal immigrants. Once the sensors sound an alarm, patrol officers immediately rush to the location to perform their tasks. Since 2002, 26 Border Patrol agents have died in the line of duty.