Are car accidents the most common cause of death in the line of duty for Border Protection agents?
By Allegra Taylor
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YES
Car accidents accounted for 17 of 35 deaths of on-duty border patrol agents between 2003 and 2019, according to the agency's own data.
The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, reviewed reports since the 2003 founding of the Customs and Border Protection agency as part of the newly-created Department of Homeland Security. Other job-related accidents, such as health-related accidents and drownings, were responsible for another third of fatalities. Six deaths resulted from assault or murder, with the most recent instance in 2017.
Since the beginning of 2020, 12 agents have died in the line of duty. All of the on-duty deaths in 2020 were the result of COVID-19 or complications from the disease, except for one heat-related death.
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