Exclusive: Illegal Migrant Accused of Shooting CBP Officer Was Only Zoom Vetted Before Release
Illegally Entered Migrant Accused of Shooting Border Officer in NYC Park
An illegal immigrant involved in a shooting in Manhattan was reportedly approved for release into the U.S. after only a remote Zoom vetting process, according to sources. The suspect, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic, crossed the border into Arizona in April 2023 amid a surge of migrants crossing the southern border.
The Biden administration relied on virtual interviews conducted over Zoom to process migrants, a method criticized by law enforcement officials for its ineffectiveness. Mora Nunez was released into the country due to a lack of detention space along the border, with a court notice to appear later before an immigration judge. Despite multiple arrests in New York and Massachusetts afterward, he was repeatedly released.
Authorities confirmed that Mora Nunez did not report to his designated Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, and due to equipment shortages, no DNA sample was obtained—standard practice to check for prior criminal history. Law enforcement’s database check revealed no criminal record at the time.
In 2023, an immigration judge ordered Mora Nunez’s deportation after he failed to appear in court. However, he remained in the U.S. and was involved in a robbery and shooting incident in Fort Washington Park, where he allegedly shot a 42-year-old off-duty border patrol officer in the face. An accomplice, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, also from the Dominican Republic, aided in the botched robbery.
The officer responded with his own firearm, shooting Mora Nunez three times. The suspects fled on a moped, and Mora Nunez was later found with gunshot wounds in a Bronx hospital. The officer underwent surgery and was reported to be in stable condition.
Following the incident, former President Trump criticized the system that allowed Mora Nunez to remain in the country, condemning the catch-and-release policies. Trump stated on social media that the migrant was apprehended at the border but was released instead of being deported, emphasizing the threat posed by such policies.
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