US probing fatal shooting of Border Patrol agent on duty

PHOTO CAPTION: An armed U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent stands watch at the border fence next to the beach in Tijuana, at the Border State Park in San Diego, California, U.S. November 16, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -     A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and killed on Monday while on duty, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman said in a statement.

"Today, January 20, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton Sector was fatally shot in the line of duty," Huffman said.

"This incident is being swiftly investigated and DHS will release additional information as soon as it becomes available."

The Border Patrol agent was killed in northern Vermont south of the Canadian border, officials said. 

Vermont State Police said the shooting happened on Interstate 91 in Coventry, which is about 20 miles (32 km) from the Canadian border.

 (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates)