Four including US national guard members die in Texas helicopter crash

Three National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent were killed when a helicopter carrying them crashed on Friday near the Texas-Mexico border, according to a county official.

The top local official in Starr County, Judge Eloy Vera, stated that a fourth passenger was critically ill. The collision occurred close to La Grulla, in Starr County.

The UH-72 Lakota helicopter, according to the joint taskforce north, was part of the federal government’s border security mission when it went down on Friday close to Rio Grande City. An investigation was underway to determine the cause.

The taskforce statement states that the crash occurred in the middle of the afternoon while the helicopter was performing aviation operations.

The deceased’s names were not made public right away.

Messages seeking comment were not immediately answered by a US Border Patrol spokesperson.

On Friday, the Starr County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that it was providing assistance in relation to a “downed helicopter incident” that occurred on the county’s eastern edge.

Vera said that the sheriff’s office had secured the area and that federal agents were en route.

Both state and federal law enforcement agencies actively patrol the border region, often utilizing aerial surveillance.