Hiker in the US shot by suspected Mexican cartel members

A hiker was viciously assaulted by individuals believed to be part of a cartel while exploring a remote area near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County, as stated by the U.S. Border Patrol El Centro Sector.

The occurrence took place on Wednesday around noon close to the border of San Diego and Imperial counties when a group of American citizens hiking in the Jacumba Wilderness in California was violently attacked and shot at by individuals suspected to be associated with a cartel.

A source from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News that two suspected cartel members, armed with handguns, were located approximately a thousand yards within the U.S. territory in the Jacumba region when they approached two hikers from the group and started shouting at them in Spanish.

The source said the hikers didn’t understand, so the gunmen yelled “come”. 

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection border patrol agent talks to people on the Mexican side of the border wall at Border Field State Park in San Diego, California, U.S., November 28, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie (REUTERS/Chris Wattie)

“These cartels think they can bring their war to American soil. Let this serve as a WARNING: The El Centro Sector will not stand idly by,” the agency wrote on a post on social media. 

“The safety of our citizens is NOT negotiable; cartel terrorists have no place in our country preying on the innocent. Enough is enough.” 

Border Patrol officials are working to determine which cartel the gunmen belong to. 

Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]