Judge Delays Border Agent Hearing on Death of Mexican Teen

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — An upcoming hearing will determine whether statements made by a Border Patrol agent can be used in his trial for the fatal 2012 shooting of a Mexican teenager. According to court documents, Agent Lonnie Ray Swartz made statements acknowledging the fatal shooting and became ill. He is accused of shooting through gaps in the fence in Nogales and killing 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. A grand jury indicted Swartz in September on a murder charge. Documents filed by federal prosecutors also show that Swartz was supposed to be a nearby entryway on the night of the shooting and his supervisor was surprised to see him at the fence. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has refused to release surveillance camera video. Officials say the shooting occurred during a rock-throwing incident.