Smugglers unloaded marijuana from this Chevrolet Avalanche before setting it on fire about five miles west of Douglas.

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Drug smugglers fire on border agents near Douglas

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Drug smugglers opened fire on federal agents late Monday night near Douglas during a drug bust.

Agents from the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement spotted two large trucks, a Chevrolet Avalanche and a Ford F-150, using ramps to drive over an approximately 8-foot border fence about 10:30 p.m. some five miles west of Douglas on James Ranch Road, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.

As agents approached the trucks, the drug smugglers turned around and tried to flee back into Mexico. But, agents threw down tire spikes, stopping both trucks north of the international line.

The occupants of the Chevrolet Avalanche jumped out of the car with automatic rifles and began throwing bundles of marijuana over the fence into Mexico. The occupants in the Ford F-150 also exited their vehicle and ran back into Mexico.

Meanwhile, a third vehicle drove up near the border in Mexico. A man got out and climbed on top of the truck and opened fire with an automatic rifle, shooting over the fence and into the United States, Scioli said. Nobody was hit or hurt during the shooting, he said.

After they had finished unloading the marijuana from the Chevrolet Avalanche, the smugglers set it on fire. Agents were able to secure the Ford F-150, which was reported stolen out of Douglas. Inside, they found 1,158 pounds of marijuana.

Agents did not make any arrests in the incident. U.S. officials called Mexican law enforcement about the incident but no arrests have been made south of the border, either.

The incident comes on the heels of a busy weekend where Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector made six significant marijuana seizures, bringing in more than 2 tons of marijuana.