The truth about Claudia Gómez's death
News of the shooting of Claudia Gómez at the U.S.-Mexico border came and went quickly in spring 2018.
Headlines at the time about former President Donald Trump's controversial border policy overwhelmed public attention. The story of a woman who was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent eventually faded.
Despite a confusing slew of policy debates over the nation’s intractable immigration battle, advocates and researchers say, sits one remarkable consistency: When Border Patrol agents shoot and kill migrants, they are almost never punished.
In the Border Patrol’s 100-year history, including in Gómez's case, no agent has ever been convicted of a wrongful killing while on duty. Documents obtained by Paste BN, including investigative reports by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Webb County Sheriff’s Office, offer a rare glimpse into what happens after an agent pulls the trigger.