Suspect held in shootout near US-Mexico border; Texas trooper 'critical' but stable

Victor Alejandro Godinez was identified as the suspect who shot a Texas state trooper Saturday night. (Texas Department of Public Safety)

A Texas state trooper was in critical but stable condition early Sunday after being shot while approaching a driver who had fled from a crash scene not far from the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said.

Further information on the trooper’s condition, along with his name, was not immediately available.

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The trooper was shot multiple times late Saturday and rushed to an Edinburg hospital, where he underwent surgery and was “fighting for his life,” Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra wrote on Twitter. Edinburg is about 64 miles northwest of Brownsville in the state's border region.

At the time, multiple law enforcement and government sources told the Rio Grande Valley's KGBT-TV that the trooper was left "brain dead," but that has yet to be confirmed.

The suspect, identified as Victor Alejandro Godinez, evaded immediate capture but was taken into custody early Sunday in the Edinburg area, authorities said. Police later confirmed that Godinez is a U.S. citizen and resident of Edinburg.

The unidentified trooper was responding to a report of a vehicle crash around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, when the driver fled on foot, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a statement. The trooper was shot after locating the suspect.

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DPS said the agency worked with local law enforcement to find the suspect. Bystanders reported seeing tactical units and a SWAT team canvassing the area, according to the Monitor, a McAllen-based newspaper.

The investigation was ongoing and DPS said more information will be released as it becomes available.