Driver arrested in 120 mph chase after running Border Patrol checkpoint in far West Texas
Benjamin Thomas Mackey, of New Orleans, was allegedly transporting 10 pounds of marijuana that he had purchased in a plan to make money to invest it in a business, according to a criminal complaint filed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
Mackey faces a federal charge of high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint and is being held without bond at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown El Paso, according to a jail log. If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison.
The incident occurred about 8 p.m. on July 3 at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 east of El Paso near the town of Sierra Blanca in Hudspeth County, the complaint stated.
A silver Mercedes-Benz C 300 driven by Mackey pulled into the checkpoint when a Border Patrol drug-sniffing dog alerted agents to the car, the complaint stated.
Mackey told an agent that he is a U.S. citizen, provided a Louisiana driver's license and was referred to a secondary inspection, the complaint stated. Mackey turned off the car when told by agents but appeared to get nervous, quickly restarted the car and sped off.
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One agent "had to move out of the way as he almost got ran over" by Mackey, the complaint stated.
The Border Patrol agents chased after the car on I-10 reaching 120 mph but agents were unable to catch up to the sedan and lost sight of it, the complaint stated.
About 8:10 p.m., the car was spotted in the town of Sierra Blanca near the Border Patrol station, the complaint stated. When agents attempted to pull over the vehicle, the driver accelerated and "drove in an erratic/dangerous matter" before crashing into metal barriers near a gas station. Mackey ran from the crash before he was arrested by agents.
A Border Patrol agent received unspecified injuries to his legs during the chase and was taken to a hospital, the complaint added.
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Agents found 10 pounds of marijuana in a search of the car. When questioned later by a Border Patrol agent, Mackey allegedly admitted to speeding away from the checkpoint because he had the marijuana in the car and was on parole in Louisiana.
He allegedly told the agent that he didn't know how fast he was going but that he "floored it" and that's why he lost control of the car and crashed, the complaint stated. The complaint mentioned that Mackey has a criminal history from Louisiana on charges of distribution/possession of marijuana and illegal carrying of a weapon from 2021.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Driver arrested in Texas chase after running Border Patrol checkpoint
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