U.S. Border Patrol Agent Barrera has hired a Laredo local attorney to represent him in the ongoing death investigation of Claudia Patricia Gómez González, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
June 5, 2018
Laredo, TX - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Texas Department of Justice Texas Rangers Division and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have an ongoing death investigation involving U.S. Border Patrol Agent Romualdo Barrera, 47, in connection with the shooting homicide of Claudia Patricia Gómez González, 20, an undocumented immigrant originally from San Juan Ostuncalco, Guatemala who was fatally shot behind the head on Wednesday, May 23rd in Río Bravo. Barrera hasn't officially been identified by the FBI, Texas Rangers or the CBP, but his name has been circulating in Laredo protests seeking justice for Claudia. Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has been the only news source to identified Barrera who in 2014 received a recognition award for saving an undocumented 8-year-old girl in the U.S. border who was left behind due to a health issue and being exhausted due to the heat. Agent Barrera carried the young girl for a mile, according to the CBP.
Agent Barrera has been placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation in connection with the death of González.
Barrera is a 15-year veteran for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Agent Barrera has hired George Altgelt, a Laredo local attorney to represent him as the FBI and the Texas Rangers continue to investigate González's death as a possible homicide.
Agent Barrera at first gave a preliminary report that he was attacked by a group of undocumented immigrants with a blunt object (a 2x4 piece of lumber), but later the CBP revised their press release saying that the agent was attacked and didn't mention any weapons used by the undocumented immigrants.
Marta Martinez, the woman who posted multiple videos from the crime scene says, that authorities didn't find any 2x4 pieces of lumber where Agent Barrera killed González because there were none. Martinez confirmed that González was faced down on the grassy area adjacent to her property and bleeding from her left side of her face. González had suffered a fatal bullet wound from behind the head. Martinez heard at least one shot fired, but another witness heard several shots.
The Webb County Coroner's office only identified González as the victim, but didn't release any details about how she died or injuries from the fatal shooting.
At least three other undocumented male immigrants were taken into custody in the area, but no details have been released by the CBP, FBI or the Texas Rangers about their testimony concerning the González death.
The three other undocumented men that accompanied González and detained were identified by the Guatemalan government as Ader Cabrera Sánchez, 18, Carlos Pérez Vicente, 20, and Damian Mendez Peñalonzo, 18. Apparently, one of the aunts of the victim told a news media outlet that a smuggler was had charged more than $11,000 dollars to smuggle González into the U.S.
According to González's mother, her daughter left to the U.S. to seek employment because there was no work in her village. Yosimar Morales, González's fiancé who resides in Alexandria, Virginia says, that he hadn't seen her for a year and that she was coming to the U.S. to meet up with him and get married. González had recently graduated as an accountant in Guatemala, but couldn't find a job, so she decided to travel to the U.S.
González's parents including Morales are mourning the death of Claudia. They are now seeking justice for González.
González's parents including Morales are mourning the death of Claudia. They are now seeking justice for González.
Crossing into the U.S. without legal status for the first time is a federal civil offense, which might result in deportation depending on the circumstances and is not a federal criminal offense.
The CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are known as the most corrupt U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies in the U.S., which rogue agents have killed undocumented immigrants while in custody and none have been charged or prosecuted in those murders.
At least 97 shooting deaths of undocumented immigrants by U.S. Border agents have been reported in the last 15 years with no prosecution of agents involved.
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