A suspect accused of shooting and wounding two New York City Police Department officers Monday was confirmed to have made his way into the country illegally, authorities said.

The alleged shooter, 19-year-old Venezuelan national Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, purportedly shot the officers around 1:40 a.m. after he drove a moped onto the wrong side of the street in the area of 82nd Street near 23rd Avenue, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said.

Officers attempted to pull him over, but Castro Mata fled, and officers pursued him.

“During the pursuit, the suspect fired multiple rounds at our officers who then returned fire. One officer was shot in the front of his bullet-resistant vest. The other officer was shot in his leg. Both of our cops were taken to Elmhurst Hospital where they are being treated,” Caban said.

“Thankfully, they are both in stable condition. The suspect was also shot in the right ankle and he was removed to New York-Presbyterian Queens by EMS also in stable condition.”

Castro Mata is allegedly linked to a wider robbery pattern in the area involving mopeds and scooters, and he was residing at a converted Courtyard Marriott hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“What we know is that the shooter here, he entered the country from Venezuela. He entered through Eagle Pass, Texas, back in July of 2023. We know that he entered the country illegally,” Kenny said.

“The patterns that we’re looking at currently in Queens that he’s involved with involve phone snatches and instances where a woman was attacked, her credit card was stolen, and eventually used in a Queens smoke shop.”