Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to 15 Years for Shooting Off-Duty Border Patrol Officer in NYC Robbery

An illegal immigrant has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for shooting and seriously injuring an off-duty Border Patrol officer during a robbery in Manhattan last summer. U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Preska imposed the maximum allowable sentence on Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 22, stating that a stern punishment was necessary to send a message to individuals who come to the United States to commit crimes.

Mora Nunez pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge earlier this year. He still faces a separate attempted murder case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life.

Another Dominican migrant, 23-year-old Christhian Aybar-Berroa, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison for his role as an accomplice in the July 2025 robbery. Aybar-Berroa aided Mora Nunez in escaping the scene on a moped.

Both Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa are in the U.S. illegally and are expected to be deported after completing their sentences for possessing ammunition as illegal aliens. According to prosecutors, Mora Nunez crossed the Arizona border in April 2023 and had a prior criminal record, including arrests for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman and threatening another migrant with a machete.

During the sentencing hearing, Mora Nunez expressed remorse, speaking in Spanish. "I have been separated from my little girl who I love very much, I really wish to be with her and be a better role model," he stated through an interpreter. "I wish I could go back in time and avoid everything that has happened."

The incident occurred just after midnight on July 20, 2025, in Manhattan's Fort Washington Park. Mora Nunez reportedly approached Border Patrol Officer Joshua Sinclair, who was with a female companion, and attempted to rob him, firing a shot that struck Sinclair in the face. Prosecutors stated that Mora Nunez had stolen another woman's cellphone minutes before the encounter.

After being shot, Officer Sinclair returned fire, striking his attacker twice before Mora Nunez fled on Aybar-Berroa's moped. Judge Preska noted her lack of confidence that Mora Nunez had learned to respect the law, citing reports that he allegedly bragged about his charges to other inmates. "Nothing instills any confidence that he has learned to respect the law, and the sentence should reflect that," the judge remarked.

Officer Sinclair has been unable to return to work and continues to undergo medical treatment and facial surgeries more than a year after the attack. Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa have pleaded not guilty to charges in the state court case and are scheduled to appear in court again in November.