A National Guard helicopter that flew over the U.S.-Mexico border crashed in Texas on Friday has claimed the lives of two National Guard soldiers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Another National Guard solider was injured.
Around 2:50 p.m. MST, a UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to the federal Southwest border support mission crashed while conducting an aviation operation near Rio Grande City, 41 miles west of McAllen, the Joint Task Force North said in a press release.
The Starr County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of a, “downed helicopter incident.” Police confirmed that there was possibly fourth passengers on board the plane, the press release states.
Starr County Judge Eloy Vera told the Associated Press that the passengers on the chopper included one woman and three men. Vera said the person who was injured was in critical condition.
The Joint Task Force North will not release the names of those who were killed in the crash until all the families are notified.
