An illegal immigrant from Mexico was fatally shot to death in a return fire following his gun attack on a South Carolina deputy in the chest during an early-morning traffic stop.

Floriberto Perez-Nieto, who had a prior deportation and felony illegal re-entry conviction, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), had fired gunshots in Johns Island sometime past 9 pm when a resident phoned the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies to report the violence.

However, the deputies were not able to track down the suspect at the time until another call from the same person at 3 am who reported Perez-Nieto’s return to the area.

Confrontation and Fatal Shooting

Responding promptly to the call, the deputies identified Perez-Nieto’s vehicle in the area and tried to apprehend him. But in an attempt to avoid arrest, Perez-Nieto shot at an unnamed deputy before being stopped by other deputies with multiple gunshots at him, after which he was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to authorities.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented: ‘This criminal illegal alien illegally obtained a firearm and nearly killed a law enforcement officer.’

She added, ‘Thankfully, the officer’s body armor saved his life. There could have been quite a different, tragic outcome for this officer and his family.’

DHS Responds to the Incident

According to the DHS, Perez-Nieto was first arrested for illegally entering the US from Mexico at an unspecified date and location, and without inspection from immigration authorities. However, upon later inspection, he was deported on 20 February 2019 and charged with a felony illegal re-entry conviction when caught a second time for bypassing the border control at an unknown time and date.

Officials remain uncertain about his acquisition of a firearm, considering his illegal status, and the CCSO professional standards division is said to follow up with an internal investigation related to the shooting.

For now, the deputies involved in the scene have been placed on paid leave until further review is made, as per an update from the sheriff’s office.

Federal Penalties for Illegal Re-Entry

Illegal immigration has been a serious federal offence in the US, with a first offence typically handled as a misdemeanour that attracts a six-month jail term.

When a second offence is committed, following a deportation order, as in Perez-Nieto’s case, offenders are charged with a federal felony, which typically involves federal imprisonment, heavy fines, and a permanent ban on future legal admissions to the US.

Deportation offences can attract even more penalties if they involve a criminal conviction with penalties including 10-year imprisonment for three or more misdemeanors (involving drugs or crimes against a person) or a single felony and 20-year imprisonment if the previous removal followed an aggravated felony conviction.

With the current Trump regime squarely focused on curbing crimes related to illegal immigrants, authorities have remained proactive about handling immigration offences and related crimes.

Today, over 70% of ICE arrests pertain to criminal illegal aliens charged with or convicted of a crime in the US, as per recent findings from the DHS, and a record-breaking number of more than 527,000 illegal aliens have been removed under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.