An American hiker was shot in the leg by suspected Mexican cartel members in the mountains near San Diego on Wednesday.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said that the incident occurred when two citizens were robbed and attacked in the Jacumba Wilderness area near the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Two of the hikers, one U.S. citizen and one Canadian citizen, were approached by two armed individuals and were commanded to come toward the armed men,” the CBP said.

“When the hikers refused to follow the armed subjects’ commands, the assailants fired a volley of shots toward the hikers, striking one victim in the leg.

“The assailants advanced on the downed hiker and his Canadian companion, robbing them of their cell phones and backpacks.”

Newsweek has contacted CBP for further comment via email.

Why It Matters

The attack underscores the growing safety concerns in remote border regions along the U.S.-Mexico border.

It comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American criminal groups like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as terrorist organizations.

Trump’s order states that these groups “threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.”

What To Know

Wednesday’s attack on the hikers took place roughly 1,000 feet north of the U.S.-Mexico border in the rugged Jacumba Wilderness area, a well-known area for illegal crossings.

Border Patrol agents responded to emergency calls from the group, before evacuating the injured hiker and tracking the attackers as they retreated back to Mexico, according to the CBP.

“At 12:08 p.m. Mountain Disrupt Unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue agents infiltrated to the area, locating the injured victim and stabilizing him,” the CBP said.

“Agents created a protective perimeter and extracted the victim via CBP Air and Marine Operations San Diego. The victim was transferred to Reach Air Ambulance and flown to Sharp Medical Center in San Diego for treatment.

“BORTAC and BORSTAR agents maintained a secure perimeter and tracked the assailants back to the border where they returned to Mexico.”

It comes after the Pentagon said on Wednesday that it had begun deploying 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the southern border.

What People Are Saying

El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino said in a statement: “The wounded hiker is an ‘I told you so moment’ highlighting the importance of adequate infrastructure the Border Patrol has been championing for years now.”

“Suspected cartel terrorists, however, are fixing to learn this type of conduct will be an end game type of activity here in the premier sector. All threats, anywhere, or at any time throughout this sector will be addressed vigorously.”

Brian Michael Jenkins, a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation, told Newsweek previously: “Drug cartels could easily turn into real terrorist organizations. Over one million U.S. expats live or work in Mexico. They and their firms could become targets for reprisals.”

What Happens Next

Trump has flirted with the prospect of sending U.S. troops into Mexico to take on the cartels.

“Could happen… stranger things have happened,” he said in the Oval Office after his inauguration.