Michigan man's attack on feds in McAllen 'out of the blue,' brother says

LUDINGTON, Mich. (WOOD) — A day after a Ludington man was shot and killed by authorities after opening fire on federal agents at a Border Patrol facility in Texas, his brother is struggling to understand why.

His only explanation: The mental health issues his brother, Ryan Mosqueda, 27, started suffering a year ago and an obsession with the news.

Mosqueda's brother, Joe Mosqueda, 21, told News 8 that the FBI questioned his family Monday at their home in Ludington and seized some evidence, including his brother's computer and a gaming console. He said his brother is a native-born U.S. citizen.

"They tried to see if he's involved in any groups or anything like that, like groups that would hate America or hate ICE or anything," the brother said.

Police in McAllen, Texas, near where Ryan Mosqueda recently was living with his father, say he fired dozens of rounds from a rifle at federal agents and at a U.S. Border Patrol facility on Monday, injuring a police officer, before authorities shot and killed him.

His brother said he never heard him talk about immigration or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The attack, he said, was "out of the blue."

An undated courtesy photo of Ryan Mosqueda.

Ryan Mosqueda had no known criminal record. Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said his department had no interactions with him.

"I don't know if he was intentionally targeting (ICE). I don't know," Mosqueda's brother said. "I believe it was mental health issues. I don't know if he was just so involved with the news and he saw everything he believed online."

He said his brother, who was single and last worked at a factory, started suffering undiagnosed mental health problems about a year ago, but refused to get help.

"He cut everyone out, he cut his friends out, he started shunning his family, I guess. He stopped working, he didn't do anything besides absorb himself in the media," he said. "He's 27 years old. We tried, but we couldn't force him to do anything. We tried to talk to him. I just wish he would have talked to us."

Hours before the attack, Mosqueda’s father told police that he was looking for his son, who he said had psychological issues and was carrying weapons in his car. Joe Mosqueda said he was texting his brother at the same time, but got no response.

"My brother left the house after he and my dad had had an argument," the brother said.

He said they argued about a trip they were planning to take to Michigan the next day.

Police say Mosqueda had a “utility vest” in addition to a rifle when federal agents returned fire. They later found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks inside his car.

A 10-year police veteran was struck in the knee, though police have said they don't know if it was by shrapnel or a bullet. He's expected to recover.

"This is how everyone's going to remember him," Joe Mosqueda said. "There's nothing I can do to change anyone's mind, and I understand that Ryan did what he did, and I don't blame the Border Patrol agents. If someone was shooting at me, I would shoot back, too. I don't want people to think I'm defending his actions, because I'm not. No one in my family defends his actions. We're all ashamed. We're all not proud."

But, he said, they also don't understand it.

"Nobody in our family understands why he would do something like this," he said.