By Canadian Press

Authorities: 1 person fatally shot during rescue of migrants

Mar 23, 2023 | 1:16 PM

HOUSTON (AP) — A hostage rescue in Houston in which one person was fatally shot on Thursday first began days ago when three migrants were kidnapped from a vehicle in a neighboring county, according to a prosecutor.

The three migrants had been traveling in a vehicle on Interstate 10 in Waller County on March 18 when they were stopped by an unknown number of individuals and forced into another vehicle, said Sean Whittmore, a prosecutor with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office.

The driver of the vehicle with the migrants called 911 and informed the Waller County Sheriff’s Office about the kidnapping, Whittmore said. The sheriff’s office later contacted the FBI, whose agents were involved in a shooting early Thursday morning in Houston in which all three migrants were rescued.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

HOUSTON (AP) — One person was fatally shot during a hostage rescue on Thursday in Houston, according to the FBI.

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FBI agents had been part of a multiday law enforcement operation to rescue a group of hostages, the agency’s Houston office said in a statement.

“All the hostages have been safely rescued, no FBI agents are injured, and one individual is deceased,” according to the statement.

The shooting took place early Thursday morning in north Houston.

The FBI declined to say how many agents were involved or where the shooting took place. A large police presence was seen late Thursday morning at a motel.

The FBI said it was assisting the Waller County Sheriff’s Office in the rescue operation but declined to provide more information on the number of hostages or what led to the shooting.

“There is no threat to public safety at this time,” the FBI said.

The sheriff’s office in Waller County, located northwest of Houston, referred all calls to the county’s district attorney’s office.

Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The FBI said a review team will investigate the shooting.

Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press