Washington man shot at US-Canada border was fleeing agents, feds say
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Washington has identified the person shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Blaine on Tuesday morning as 39-year-old Nathaniel Anthony Muniz-Spry of Everson. He has been federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Muniz-Spry was injured by gunshot at about 5:30 a.m. near the intersection of Fourth and A streets in Blaine. The FBI and Customs and Border Patrol told The Herald that a firearm was recovered at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The FBI is leading the criminal investigation into the incident with assistance from the Blaine Police Department, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the Department of Justice. The Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Washington in this case.
CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting a use-of-force review.
Court records filed Wednesday show that Border Patrol dispatch alerted agents at 5:14 a.m. Tuesday that someone was seen on surveillance camera walking in a wooded area near the border where smuggling and illegal crossings frequently occur.
Agents encountered Muniz-Spry in the area, and he said he was looking for a place to use the bathroom. He said he did not have any identification when agents asked, but gave his name and date of birth. Agents placed him in the back of a patrol car uncuffed while they ran records checks.
Dispatch told agents that there was an “approach with caution” alert for Muniz-Spry, according to court documents, because he’d previously brandished a knife at a law enforcement officer. Muniz-Spry was seen moving his hands inside his sweatshirt pocket, and agents told him to remove them. He did, but then put them back into his sweatshirt “multiple times.”
Muniz-Spry then asked to be allowed to go to the wooded area to use the bathroom, but agents said he needed to stay seated. Muniz-Spry stood and started walking toward the woods anyway before an agent made him sit again.
Court documents show that because of Muniz-Spry’s “concerning behavior” and the safety alert, agents decided to pat Muniz-Spry down for weapons. An agent felt what appeared to be the handle of a gun in Muniz-Spry’s waistband and yelled “gun, gun, gun,” according to court records.
The agent was able to take the gun from Muniz-Spry, but lost his balance, allowing Muniz-Spry to break his hold and start to run away. Another agent then shot Muniz-Spry in the leg, after which the agent who took the gun yelled that he had the weapon in his possession.
The agents provided medical aid to Muniz-Spry while awaiting an ambulance. Court records show that before the ambulance arrived Muniz-Spry said, “Give me the dignity of having one last cigarette before going to prison forever.”
Muniz-Spry was taken to the hospital and discharged later that day. He admitted to the FBI that he had been drunk for two days, and said he was in the area waiting for a friend.
The firearm recovered from the scene was a loaded Hi-Point C9 pistol. Muniz-Spry is prohibited from possessing a gun due to nine previous convictions in Whatcom and Skagit counties for burglary, bail jumping, possession of a stolen vehicle, felony violation of a no-contact order and prior unlawful possession of firearms.
Muniz-Spry was charged again with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as the possession with intent to deliver of fentanyl and methamphetamine, in Whatcom County Superior Court in July 2025. He posted $50,000 bail and was released from jail in October.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Washington man shot at US-Canada border was fleeing agents, feds say."