The mystery of why a young American got into a shootout with Border Patrol Agents is finally revealed. It’s a sad ending that has his family questioning what made him go to such great lengths to protect what he had hidden in his truck.

Travis James Eckstein, a 23-year-old US citizen, was identified as the gunman in a shootout with border patrol agents near the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Eckstein was driving into the US from Mexico when he refused to stop for the Border Patrol at the secondary checkpoint at the border. After he hit another vehicle, he got blocked from fleeing from the border. That’s when Eckstein opened fire. He exchanged gunfire with the Border Patrol agents, as shocked people in cars looked on in disbelief.

The video below is of one of the surfers who was trying to cross the border and witnessed the shooting:

Raw video of the shootout taken by a woman waiting at the border.

The Border Patrol Agents can be seen running as the shots ring out:

.A local report about the shootout:

As it turns out, there were two passengers in the truck who are Chinese citizens. Was Eckstein smuggling the two men for a big payout from smugglers in Mexico? Is Eckstein part of a trend of American citizens being used to smuggle illegals for big money?

Eckstein’s family and girlfriend claim they knew nothing of his effort to smuggle the two Chinese citizens into America. Why he chose to go out like this is still a mystery.

 

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