Noem Gives Update In Manhunt For Second Suspect In Ambush Case
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Monday that the second suspect in the July 19 ambush of an off-duty Border Patrol agent in New York City is an illegal immigrant who evaded deportation due to sanctuary city policies.
The incident took place at Fort Washington Park under the George Washington Bridge, where two suspects approached the off-duty agent and his friend in what the Department of Homeland Security has labeled an attempted robbery. Surveillance footage shows the suspects initiating the confrontation. The off-duty agent, who was carrying his service weapon, returned fire and wounded one of the attackers.
The second suspect involved in the shooting of @CBP agent was caught by @ICEGov early this morning. Christhian Aybar-Berroa, is an illegal from the Dominican Republic. He entered the country illegally in 2022 under the Biden Administration and was ordered for final removed in… pic.twitter.com/8LJVxcWtwq
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) July 21, 2025
That suspect, now identified as Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, was apprehended after seeking treatment for his gunshot wound. According to Noem, Mora Nunez is a Dominican national who illegally entered the U.S. in 2023 and was released into the interior by the Biden administration. Noem described his criminal history as extensive, including charges for grand larceny, assault, kidnapping, witness intimidation, and an active warrant out of Massachusetts for armed robbery with a firearm.
On Monday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the second suspect, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, also a Dominican national. He entered the country illegally in 2022 and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2023. However, according to Noem, ICE detainers placed on Aybar-Berroa were ignored by New York City authorities due to sanctuary city laws.
“He has a criminal record in New York City and detainers were IGNORED thanks to @ericadamsfornyc sanctuary city policies,” Noem said, highlighting prior arrests for reckless endangerment and larceny.
.@Sec_Noem gives an update on the Border Patrol agent shot by an illegal in NYC: "There is absolutely zero reason that someone who is scum of the earth like this should be running loose ... He was arrested four different times and ... released back to do harm." pic.twitter.com/UKYFpprROQ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 21, 2025
During the press conference, Noem directly linked the attack on the federal agent to the city's refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. “There is zero reason this individual should have been on the streets,” she stated.
She went on to criticize the broader policy failures that allowed both suspects—each with prior offenses and pending warrants—to remain free. “This officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life because of the policies of the mayor of the city and the city council,” Noem said. “They refused to do so, and now we have the situation on our hands where someone who has dedicated their life to protecting the public is now fighting for his own.”