Three people were killed and one was critically injured after a helicopter carrying National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent crashed in southern Texas on Friday while following people who were crossing the border with Mexico, officials said.
The helicopter, which crashed at 2:50 p.m., was conducting an operation near Rio Grande City, according to Joint Task Force North, an operation under the Defense Department that supports Customs and Border Protection with National Guard units.
Two of the dead were soldiers, and the third was a Border Patrol agent, Joint Task Force North said in a statement, adding that it would not share the names of the victims because their families had not been notified.
The National Guard confirmed in a statement that its members on board were part of the Army National Guard.
That model has served as the U.S. Army’s light utility helicopter since 2006, according to Airbus, the manufacturer.
Organizations:
National Guard, Border Patrol, Task Force, Defense Department, Army National Guard, UH, Lakota, Airbus
Locations:
Texas, Mexico, Rio Grande City