Three dead in Texas crash of US military helicopter on border patrol
Reuters
Published Mar 08, 2024 11:10PM ET
Updated Mar 09, 2024 02:00AM ET
(Reuters) - A National Guard helicopter assigned to patrol duty along the U.S.-Mexico border crashed in Texas on Friday, killing two soldiers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent who were aboard and injuring another soldier, military officials said.
The UH-72 Lakota helicopter went down near Rio Grande City, Texas, around 2:50 p.m. (2050 GMT) while conducting aerial "monitoring and detection" operations at the border, said U.S. Army Major Ryan Wierzbicki.
The cause of the crash was under investigation, the Army said. Wierzbicki said he had no information about weather conditions at the time of the accident.
The names of the dead and injured were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The chopper was assigned to a federal Southwest border support mission with Joint Task Force North, attached to the army outpost at Fort Bliss, Texas, Wierzbicki said.
The aircraft was not part of Operation Lone Star, a state-directed border enforcement program launched in 2021 by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, using Texas National Guard troops and the Texas Department of Public Safety, the major said.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.