25-year-old pleads guilty to attempted murder of a Border Patrol agent
Update (July 19, 2024): A federal court sentenced Esquivel to 19 years in prison today for attempted murder.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- 25-yera-old El Pasoan Roberto Esquivel pleaded guilty to attempted murder of a U.S. officer this week.
A federal grand jury indicted Esquivel in April of 2023 for his alleged involvement in a January 2023 scheme to transport five migrants. In his plea agreement, Esquivel admitted to planning to pick up the migrant in El Paso and drive them to Deming. Court documents state that as Esquivel drove on New Mexico State Road 146 a Border Patrol agent pulled him over. Officials say that is when Esquivel pulled a gun from his gun console and shot the agent twice in the torso. He sped off in his car then, but soon crashed and rolled the car several times. The agent survived.
Esquivel could face up to 19 years in prison. In addition to attempted murder, Esquivel is also charged with aggravated assault of an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
