GARCENO – The Starr County Sheriff’s office is investigating a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Deputies told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the agent in question discharged his weapon as a vehicle barreled towards him.

Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene after receiving a call of a bail out last Thursday. Upon arrival, agents told them the driver of a silver 2007 Pontiac passenger vehicle swam into Mexico.

Major Carlos Delgado with the Starr County Sheriff’s Office described the scenario in the following statement, which reads in part:

"Agent stated that as he was facing north (towards us 83) in La Prieta Road, the vehicle was observed to be traveling southbound towards his marked USBP unit as if the vehicle was going to strike his unit. Agent also observed a marked Border Patrol unit following the vehicle. Agent then pulled out his service weapon and fired four times through his windshield towards the suspect's vehicle. Agent then drove out of the way to avoid a collision with the suspect. Suspect's vehicle windshield was hit twice by the rounds fired by the agent. No evidence was found to show that the suspect was injured by the gunshots."

Patricia Garza lives in the area of Garceno, where the narcotics investigation took place. She said it’s a common occurrence in the area.

"I think it's been going on for a long time,” said Garza. “In the 45 years that I’ve been married to my husband, somebody was always being caught!"

Supervisory Border Patrol agent Robert Rodriguez said Starr County is a high traffic area for illicit activity along the border.

"The Starr County area continues to be the most volatile area along the southwest border,” he said. “In an effort to mitigate those risks the Border Patrol has deployed numerous assets to that area."

These assets include aerostat blimps and surveillance cameras on the river.

"Well this incident goes to the show the Border Patrol's continued need for personnel, technology and infrastructure,” he said.

Rodriguez declined to comment on whether the agent was still on active duty.

Deputies are asking anyone with tips on the identity of the driver or his whereabouts to call the Starr County Sheriff’s Office at 956 487 5571.