Three people die in a helicopter accident along the US-Mexico border while transporting National Guard personnel
NEW DELHI: Three National Guard men and a Border Patrol agent were killed when a helicopter transporting them crashed on Friday near the Texas-Mexico border, according to a county official.
Lieutenant Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety said that the collision occurred in the tiny Texas community of La Grulla. Olivarez declined to provide any further information and referred questions to US Customs and Border Protection.
On Friday, the Starr County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook that it was providing assistance in relation to a “downed helicopter incident” that occurred on the county’s east side.
Requests for comment were not immediately answered by Border Patrol representatives.
Authorities said that a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter had a power outage and crashed in January as it was circling the state’s border with Mexico. The helicopter suffered serious damage, while the co-pilot only suffered a minor hand injury.
The aircraft was part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s roughly $10 billion border operation, Operation Lone Star. The authority of the federal government to control immigration has been challenged by this effort.
