Officials said the agent was attacked by a group of migrants at a checkpoint in the northern state of Chihuahua after asking to see their identification papers. At least two migrants were arrested.

By Emiliano Rodríguez Mega and Annie Correal

Reporting from Mexico City

A federal immigration agent in Mexico was killed on Monday afternoon by a group of migrants in the northern state of Chihuahua after asking to see their identification papers, the country’s migration agency said.

The agent, identified as Luis Alberto Olivas García, was attacked at Precos-Samalayuca, a migration checkpoint about 30 miles south of the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, the National Migration Institute said in a statement.

There were conflicting statements from Mexican officials about how many people were arrested. The statement from the national authorities said three people — two Venezuelan men and a Colombian man — but a spokesman with the Chihuahua security ministry, Jorge Armendáriz, said that only two Venezuelan men were in the custody of state authorities.

No charges had been filed as of Monday evening.

Experts said the killing of an immigration agent in Mexico was rare.

Preliminary reports indicated that the agent had sustained several wounds possibly caused by a sharp weapon and a head injury most likely caused by a rock, according to Mr. Armendáriz. Mr. Olivas García had been recognized earlier on Monday for his 30 years of service, Mr. Armendáriz added.

A spokeswoman for the Colombian migration authorities said on Monday night that the government was looking into the episode and could not comment further. The Venezuelan authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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