Three killed as National Guard helicopter crashes near border in Texas

Incident occurrs near La Grulla, Texas, located about 40 miles west of border city of McAllen

Two killed as National Guard helicopter crashes near border in Texas (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press All Rights Reserved)

A helicopter flying over the US-Mexico border in Texas crashed on Friday, killing two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent, the military said.

Another soldier on board was injured.

The incident occurred near La Grulla, Texas, located about 40 miles west of the border city of McAllen, on Friday, two National Guard sources confirmed to CBS News.

There were casualties in the crash, US defense officials told the outlet, but the exact number of fatalities and possible injuries is yet to be confirmed. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear.

Starr County judge Eloy Vera, the county’s top official, said those on board included one woman and three men. He said the person who was injured was in critical condition. The names of those killed were not immediately released.

The crashed chopper was a UH-72 Lakota, and was reportedly operating under federal authority. It is believed there were four people on board at the time of the crash.

Starr County Sheriff’s Department said the incident had occurred around 5pm local time and that its deputies were assisting with the downed helicopter incident which involved “possibly four occupants.”

Judge Vera said the scene had been secured by the sheriff’s office and that federal officials were on the way. The border region is heavily patrolled by both state and federal authorities, including routine aerial surveillance. In January, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter patrolling the state’s border with Mexico lost power and crashed, officials said at the time. The co-pilot suffered a minor hand injury and the helicopter was significantly damaged. That helicopter was flying as part of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s nearly $10 billion border mission that has tested the federal government’s authority over immigration.