FBI: No evidence to support scuffle, altercation or attack on border agent

The FBI said Wednesday it has conducted 26 searches and more than 650 interviews during its investigation into the death of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, and to date, no evidence has been produced to “support the existence of a scuffle, altercation, or attack.”

On the night of Nov. 18, 2017, Martinez and his partner were seriously injured while on-duty and conducting routine checks of culverts approximately 12 miles east of Van Horn, Texas. Martinez died the next day.

“To date, this investigation has not conclusively determined how Agent Martinez and his partner ended up at the bottom of the culvert and no suspects have been linked to this incident,” the FBI further stated.

Court documents identified Martinez’s partner as Stephen Garland, who told investigators he does not remember what happened. According to the FBI, Garland “made a statement to the effect of, ‘We ran into a culvert. I ran into a culvert. I think I ran into a culvert.'”

The FBI said a Border Patrol dispatcher also wrote into a Border Patrol log, “(He) thinks they (both agents) ran into a culvert.” Garland was instructed by Border Patrol radio dispatch to go to his Border Patrol vehicle and activate his emergency lights so that first responders could locate them, the FBI said.

Tuesday, the El Paso County Medical Examiner released an autopsy report concluding blunt injuries to the head caused Martinez’s death. The manner of death, however, was labeled “undetermined.”

The FBI had identified two persons of interest, but through forensic analysis, both have been determined not to have had anything to do with the death of Martinez and the injuries to his partner.

In the wake of Martinez’s death, the Border Patrol Union said he was brutally attacked by undocumented immigrants. The claim was repeated by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump.

Chris Cabrera, with the National Border Patrol Union, sent ABC-7 a statement immediately after the FBI’s update. “Our view hasn’t changed. Our view is he was attacked,” Cabrera said, “It seems to me that they don’t have any leads.”

The FBI, who previously said it is investigating the death as a possible assault, is offering $50,000 for information that helps it solve the case. Abbott announced the State of Texas is offering a $20,000 reward for information that helps authorities solve the case.