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EAST OF EDINBURG, TX – Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies clutched their shotguns Sunday evening, standing guard at an intersection north of Elsa where suspected kidnappers shot and wounded one of the deputies’ comrade-in-arms.

The Sheriff’s Office is not releasing the names of anyone involved out of concerns over retaliation, but sources have confirmed that Deputy Hugo Rodriguez was shot three times and is in stable condition at McAllen Medical Center.

Sheriff Lupe Treviño said his office received a call regarding a possible kidnapping about 5:21 p.m. Rodriguez, along with other deputies, were on their way to the scene near Val Verde and Farm-to-Market Road 2812 when they spotted a brown pickup that resembled the vehicle involved in the alleged kidnapping.

When they saw the pickup, which had three passengers as well as the driver inside, they pulled it over.

The sheriff said as deputies were interviewing the driver, one of the passengers got out and began shooting multiple rounds.

A bullet proof vest helped Rodriguez ward off two shots to the chest, Treviño said, adding that a third bullet punctured him in the lower right abdominal area. The deputies then opened fire and killed the shooter, the sheriff said.

“He’s going to be just fine,” Treviño said of Rodriguez. “The doctors are giving a real good prognosis.”

He said the deputy is scheduled for surgery on Monday.

The driver of the vehicle also was shot and is in the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head.

“We’re still not sure who shot who,” Treviño said.

After the incident, search warrants were executed for a nearby mobile home and another home. Treviño said the third passenger in the car may have been the kidnapping victim. The fourth is cooperating with law enforcement.

The sheriff said they believe the incident was the result of a drug deal between two groups of people.

“We really don’t know the whole story yet,” he said. “We don’t know who might be behind this scenario.”

Treviño said drugs were recovered at the mobile home, but he couldn’t say what kind or how much just before press time.

“Our main concern, of course, was the health and well-being of our deputy,” he said.