Las Cruces man who attacked off-duty Border Patrol agent with machete sentenced
EL PASO, Texas -- A Las Cruces man has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for kidnapping and carjacking relating to a June 2017 attack against an off-duty Border Patrol Agent in El Paso.
Fernando Angel Puga, 37, was found guilty in the attack back in May.
According to documents, the agent was working at a food truck when he was approached by Puga and another man asking for a ride, claiming their car had broken down. The agent gave them a ride to a gas station. During that ride, the two men forced the agent at gunpoint and knifepoint to drive them from El Paso to Las Cruces.
In Las Cruces, Puga attacked the agent and struck and stabbed the agent with a machete multiple times. The agent suffered multiple wounds, including a skull fracture.
“When faced with a deadly situation, the victim fought off the attackers and managed to escape,” said FBI
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey, El Paso Field Office.
“The courage and determination showed by the victim is awe-inspiring. The victim was not only able to escape but also assist law enforcement in the identification and arrest of the defendant and bring about the justice deserved in this violent abduction. We hope this sentencing will help the victim heal from the physical and mental wounds inflicted in this horrific incident.”
A second man involved in the attack, Sergio Ivan Quiñonez-Vegegas, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking back in February. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison on Sept. 29, 2022.
