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TUCSON - U.S. officials say Mexican law enforcement fired shots from a helicopter towards U.S. Border Patrol agents. In a statement, the U.S. Border Patrol said the Mexican law enforcement chopper crossed about 100 yards north into the Arizona desert on Thursday morning.

News 4 Tucson Investigators broke the story. Agents were outraged over the incident. The Mexican consulate released a statement Friday regarding a joint operation with Customs and Border Protection.

The statement came from the Attorney General's office in Mexico City. It said, the Mexican government was working an operation that rescued 39 migrants, made 4 arrests and seized a ranch called "La Sierrita" in Altar, Sonora.

The only mention of helicopters was that the traffickers fired at the choppers, and the tactical support arrested those firing the shots.

The news release goes on to say the "Operation was agreed upon and coordinated with the agency of Customs and Border Protection."

A completely different story from what the border patrol agents say happened according to Art Del Cueto, the local union president. He was the agents who were fired on, "They are obvious upset. You are working in the U.S. you don't expect a helicopter to come into your area and start shooting at you. "

This happened in one of the most heavily trafficked areas used for drugs and people smuggling. It's on the Tohono O'Odham nation near the San Miguel Gate. Del Cueto was furious when he heard the incoming shift of agents was never notified about the shooting. "The oncoming shift has a right to know. It's a case of officer safety. You need to let them know shots were fired. "

Del Cueto read the statement from the Mexican attorney general's office. He said, he stands 100% by what the agents witnessed. He said the Mexican government should be held accountable. He adds, the American people need answers.

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ORIGINAL: joether

Could it have been the smugglers, using a decoy (i.e. a helicopter with the Mexican law enforcement imagery) to shoot on the border patrol guys in an effort to sew confusion and distrust between law enforcement groups on either side of the national line?

Since smugglers have used helicopters. And they have painted those helicopters to mask their true identity in an effort to avoid detection. What would smugglers have to gain by law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border ceasing joint communications and operations? Shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

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In the latest incident, Tomas Zeron, director of criminal investigations division of Mexico's federal attorney general's office in Mexico City, denied that shots were fired from the helicopter and that instead the aircraft was fired upon by Mexican smugglers on the ground.

“I don't think we crossed the border because we had our navigators along,” Zeron said at a news conference. “There were only shots fired by the detained suspects.” He said those who fired were subsequently arrested.

Zeron said the Mexican federal police and the army were involved in an operation near the Arizona border to rescue 39 migrants who had been kidnapped by drug cartel operatives. The operation took place at a ranch called La Sierrita, in the town of Altar in Sonora state, about 150 yards from the border, Zeron said.