(RightWing.org) – Two New York police officers have been shot — and the suspect is an illegal immigrant. The alleged perpetrator is a Venezuelan who sneaked across the border, was released into the US, and then went on a crime rampage. Now he’s in custody after being shot by police.
Around 1:40 am on June 3, two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were investigating a series of robberies in the East Elmhurst area of Queens when they spotted a suspect on a moped. After a chase the suspect ditched the moped and headed off on foot –- then, when the officers pursued him, he drew a gun and opened fire on them. Officer Christopher Abreu was shot in the leg, while Officer Richard Yarusso suffered a graze on the stomach from a bullet that hit his vest. They returned fire, hitting the fugitive in the foot, then arrested him.
It turned out the suspect was 19-year-old Bernardo Raul Castro Mato, who was wanted on suspicion of several robberies in Queens. The perpetrator snatched phones out of some victims’ hands; he also assaulted at least one woman and stole her credit card.
It also turned out that Mato should never have been in the US. He crossed the border from Mexico illegally in June 2023, entering the country through Eagle Pass, Texas.
This crossing has become a major flashpoint, with Texas Governor Gregg Abbott (R) trying to use state law enforcement and National Guard troops to shut down the flow of illegal migrants and the Biden administration doing everything it can to keep the border open.
After entering the US, Mato was processed and released — leaving him free to travel to New York and launch his crime spree. Somewhere along the way he picked up an illegal handgun, and tried to kill two NYPD officers with it. It’s another dramatic illustration that weak border security is putting American lives in danger.
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