Questions Mount After San Bernardino Traffic Stop Ends in Gunfire Involving Federal Agents

A tense encounter in San Bernardino is raising new questions after masked federal agents opened fire during a traffic stop captured on video. Customs and Border Protection officers, conducting what officials called a targeted operation, approached a vehicle Thursday morning as an unmarked pickup sat nearby. When the driver refused to roll down his window, agents broke the driver’s side glass. The car then accelerated away and three gunshots were heard.

Homeland Security officials said the driver steered his vehicle toward officers, striking two CBP officers, which they say prompted an agent to fire in self-defense. A slowed video angle appears to show an agent’s arm reaching into the shattered window as the truck speeds off. It remains unclear why the vehicle was initially stopped, and the video does not show how the traffic stop began.

The driver, identified only as Francisco, told NBC4 Los Angeles he acted to protect his family. Later, federal agents and local police arrived at his home, where tensions flared with community members. Officials did not detain Francisco.

NBC News law enforcement analyst Rob D’Amico said the lack of an arrest could indicate higher-ups or a judge didn’t see sufficient evidence to issue a warrant at that time. The incident has left the family and neighbors demanding answers about the use of force and the decision-making that led to gunfire during the stop.

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