Migrant busted for trying to swipe soldier’s rifle at border

A suspected illegal immigrant and convicted felon was busted for allegedly trying to swipe a Texas National Guardsman’s rifle after officials caught him crossing the US border.

Mexican national Ricardo Jaime-Ruiz, 45, was nabbed around 4 a.m. Monday as Border Patrol agents were apprehending a “large group of illegal immigrants” in Mission, Texas, state officials said.

Jaime-Ruiz tried to flee but was chased by a National Guard soldier assisting agents as part of the state’s Operation Lone Star crackdown on illegal border crossings.

“The soldier issued verbal commands to the suspect, but he failed to comply,” the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

“The suspect then grabbed the soldier’s M-4 rifle with both hands in an attempt to seize the weapon for himself.”

Authorities said the soldier was able to keep hold of his rifle before Jaime-Ruiz was taken into custody by other National Guardsmen and charged with attempting to take a weapon away from a public servant. He was taken to the Hidalgo County Jail.

The suspect, a convicted felon, had previously been deported from the US, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear what Jaime-Ruiz’s prior convictions were for.

The investigation into the gun-seizing incident was continuing.