SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The Border Patrol is reporting that twice this week, some of its agents in the San Diego Sector had to evade gunfire coming from south of the border as they patrolled the border with Mexico.

One incident reportedly occurred just yards north of the border on Monday night less than a mile east of the San Ysidro port of entry.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents were rendering aid to an injured 4-year-old boy when they had to take cover to avoid being hit by bullets.

The boy had been dropped from the primary border barrier by an unknown individual who was entering the United States, officials with Border Patrol say.

The agency reports its agents heard both the impact and ricochet of several bullets bouncing off of the secondary border barrier just north of their location.  

CBP reports that agents — with the child still on scene — directed emergency medical services and the San Diego Fire Department in the area to take cover as a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter responded to provide air support.

Personnel with the Office of Field Operations Special Response Team were also deployed.

Border Patrol goes on to say this incident took place just two days after another shooting targeting agents working in the San Ysidro Mountains, where a field supervisor notified dispatch that he was taking gunfire from “an area southwest of his location.”

CBP camera operators reportedly observed several individuals in the same area with one “appearing to be carrying a rifle.” 

“Border violence is a significant threat to public safety and to the Border Patrol agents charged with securing our nation’s borders,” said SDC Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “This is another example of the inherent dangers that agents face every day — we are taking these events very seriously and are working with law enforcement partners in the U.S. and Mexico to identify the source of the gunfire.”

A bi-national investigation is underway to identify the suspects in both incidents and additional agents have been assigned to the area.