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2 suspects arraigned in Manhattan shooting of Border Patrol officer
By
Samantha Max
Published Aug 20, 2025
Modified Aug 20, 2025
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Samantha Max / Gothamist
By
Samantha Max
Published Aug 20, 2025
Modified Aug 20, 2025
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Two men charged in connection with the July shooting of an off-duty customs and border protection agent pleaded not guilty to various crimes in Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court on Wednesday.
A state grand jury indicted Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, and Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, on charges of assault, robbery and weapons possession earlier this month. Prosecutors also accused Mora Nunez of attempted murder. The two face additional charges in federal court.
Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa both immigrated unlawfully from the Dominican Republic, according to federal charging papers. Their immigration status sparked criticism from President Donald Trump’s administration about New York’s sanctuary city policies. Days after the shooting, the Department of Justice sued Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials, accusing them of “intentional sabotage of federal immigration enforcement.”
Prosecutors say Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa made plans over WhatsApp to rob people on July 19. The pair rode a moped to Fort Washington Park, under the George Washington Bridge, and first spotted a woman sitting alone on a park bench, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Mora Nunez grabbed the woman’s phone, prosecutors said, then approached the off-duty officer.
The DA’s office said Mora Nunez pointed a gun at the officer’s head, prompting the officer to pull out his own firearm. Mora Nunez shot the officer in the face and on his hand, according to prosecutors. The officer shot Mora Nunez in the thigh and groin.
The officer, whose name has not been released publicly, survived the shooting. But Assistant District Attorney Joseph Abrams said in court that the shooting “caused devastating and lasting injuries,” which required surgeries to his face, jaw, tongue and hand.
Mora Nunez is also recovering from his injuries and video-conferenced into court from a hospital bed, wearing an orange uniform shirt with a white bed sheet pulled over his chest. Aybar-Berroa appeared in person, his hands cuffed behind his back.
About two dozen customs and border protection officers filled several benches in the courtroom Wednesday afternoon. Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa are both being held in federal custody. They’re due back in state court in early December.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
immigration
manhattan
public safety
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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