Mexican Woman Shot in Head by U.S. Border Patrol Agent Files Claim Against U.S. Government

A Mexican woman who was shot in the head by a U.S. Border Patrol agent has announced her intent to sue the U.S. government.

The 37-year-old woman, Marisol Garcia Alcantara, filed a claim on Wednesday with the Border Patrol as it is necessary prior to filing a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Tucson, Arizona, according to a Newsweek report.

Garcia was shot in Nogales, Arizona, wherein the bullet entered her head above her left eye. There are still fragments in her brain, placing her at risk of seizures. She noted that she still experiences memory loss, dizzy spells, and headaches over a half year later.

Garcia said during an interview that she wants to know why they did that to her and why her. She said that she is looking for justice and wants an apology from the Border Patrol agent. Garcia is also seeking medical care and medicine as she cannot work at the time.

Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection, the agency overseeing the Border Patrol, said they cannot comment because there is still an ongoing internal investigation by its Office of Professional Responsibility, according to The Guardian report.

The case will also be reviewed by the CBP's National Use of Force Review Board. Meanwhile, the agency did not reveal the agent's identity.

Mexican Woman Shot in The Head

Garcia was going to visit her mother and look for work to support her three daughters in the United States. She was riding in an SUV with a group of people in Nogales, sitting behind the driver.

Garcia heard a siren, experienced pain in her head, and had a blurry vision while people in the car tended to her wound.

The Mexican woman said that she was taken to a nearby hospital, but was transferred to another one in Phoenix through a helicopter.

Garcia underwent surgery in a hospital in Phoenix that night. She spent two days in the Phoenix hospital and was taken to a detention center for several weeks.

Eventually, Garcia was returned to Mexico.

The Southern Border Communities Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group, calls for a congressional investigation into the shooting on Wednesday, according to a U.S. News report.

Rep. Raul Grijalva said that the shooting incident was not unique, adding that it is a pattern that needs "to be dealt with."

Grijalva is a Democrat representing southern Arizona and supports such an inquiry regarding the issue.

CBP noted that Critical Incident Teams are not responsible for managing investigations.

The teams collect evidence for other agencies, which is, in this case, under the direction and supervision of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Garcia said that American officials did not ask her about the shooting, adding that no one investigated. Garcia noted that she was returned to Mexico without making a declaration.

Attorney Eugene Iredale, who is representing García, called the teams an "anti-internal affairs squad" responsible for protecting the agency from any liability. Garcia's legal team said that the Border Patrol is not in a position to investigate the shooting on June 16 independently.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Woman allegedly shot in the head by a Border Patrol agent speaks out - from ABC15 Arizona