Border security had been an ongoing concern, especially for Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer who has been continually at odds at the Obama administration’s handling of the serious issue. Gov Brewer stated that “there should be anger, too. Righteous anger – at the kind of evil that causes sorrow this deep, and at the federal failure and political stalemate that has left our border unsecured and our Border Patrol in harm’s way.”

The shooting took place just 5 miles from the Mexican border in a heavily-used corridor for drug smuggling where the officers were patrolling on horseback and sent to investigate a tripped ground sensor. The sensors detect movement in areas frequented by border-crossers.

A 20-mile wide search for Ivie’s killer is now in progress with law enforcement using helicopters and horses to cover the zone although it is likely that the suspects fled back into Mexico after the shooting.

Nicholas Ivie is the first Agent to have been fatally shot since the infamous Brian Terry shooting at the end of 2010.

The injured agent went into surgery today for non-life-threatening injuries to the ankle and buttocks and is expected to recover.