EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Louisiana man was arrested this week in Sierra Blanca on criminal charges for allegedly fleeing from an immigration checkpoint, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Benjamin Thomas Mackey was referred to secondary inspection at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol checkpoint due to a K-9 alert.
The criminal complaint alleges that Mackey initially turned his vehicle off at the direction of Border Patrol agents. However, he quickly turned the vehicle back on and drove away at a high rate of speed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
One agent allegedly had to move out of the way to avoid being hit by the fleeing vehicle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Two agents responded and chased Mackey along Interstate 10 East, with speeds exceeding 120 mph, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Additional agents attempted to pull Mackey over in the town of Sierra Blanca as he allegedly drove in an erratic and dangerous manner, eventually crashing into a concrete barrier near a gas station, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The criminal complaint further alleges that Mackey continued to flee on foot before agents were able to place him under arrest. During the chase, the complaint alleges, one Border Patrol agent injured his legs and needed to be taken to the hospital. Inside Mackey’s vehicle, agents allegedly found 10 pounds of marijuana.
Mackey is charged with one count of high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
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