The U.S. Border Patrol shot dead a Mexican citizen who was reportedly trying to illegally cross the border into California.
The victim was one of three men who were attempting to cross into the U.S. close to the San Ysidro Port of entry, south of San Diego, on Tuesday evening.
The dead man, identified as Jose Alfredo Yañez Reyes, 40, was shot after throwing stones at the agents from the southern side of the border, in Tijuana. One of the border agents sustained injuries but has since been released from hospital.
The Mexican government condemned the killing, calling it a “disproportionate use of force” and has demanded a thorough investigation. President Felipe Calderon Tweeted that he had protested about the incident to Hillary Clinton at a Guatemala summit they are both attending.
In June 2010 a 15-year-old Mexican boy was shot on the border of Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, after allegedly throwing stones at police. Campaign groups such as Amnesty International and America’s Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) have repeatedly criticized the border police’s use of force.