Washington State: U.S. Border Agents Arrest One Man, Searching for Another After Shots Reportedly Fired

By Jared Feldschreiber | Apr 02, 2013 06:24 PM EDT

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested one man Tuesday and continued searching for another in a remote area along the U.S.-Canadian border in northwest Washington, after agents encountered the camouflaged pair,one shot at them, officials said, as reported by CBSNews.com

Michael Milne, a spokesman with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said, "one of the subjects fired at the agents and fled into the woods," Milne said. "The other individual was apprehended."

They were on patrol Tuesday morning when they encountered the pair in the Columbia Valley, east of Sumas. The area is known as a drug-smuggling corridor. The perpetrators were wearing camouflage and carrying backpacks, he said. 

No injuries were reported.

Whatcom County Undersheriff Jeff Parks said deputies were called in to help.

Abbotsford, British Columbia, Police Constable Ian MacDonald said the incident happened on the U.S. side, and that Canadian police were told the second suspect might have made his way into Canada.

Agents set up road blocks and a helicopter scoured the area.

Sumas is 95 miles north of Seattle on Highway 9, 22 miles east of the main border crossing on Interstate 5 at Blaine.

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