Mexico protests death of illegal immigrant in US

MEXICO CITY, Jan 17 (Reuters) Mexico lodged an official protest with the United States over the death of an illegal immigrant shot by a US Border Patrol agent last weekend.

The man was killed in a confrontation with the Border Patrol agent when he was caught crossing into Arizona with six other illegal immigrants, including two of his brothers.

In a diplomatic note to Washington, Mexico said yesterday it was seriously worried by such incidents. It called on US authorities to investigate the death and punish those responsible.

The US government has tightened security along the 3,200-km border by deploying National Guard troops to back up Border Patrol units.

US President George W Bush signed a law in October to build hundreds of miles of fences along the US-Mexican border to try to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

REUTERS BDP BD0916