Helicopter carrying National Guard members and Border Patrol agent crashes in Texas, killing 3

LA GRULLA, Texas — A helicopter carrying three National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent crashed along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas on Friday, killing three of the people on board, a county official said.

Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, the county’s top local official, said a fourth person on board was in critical condition. The accident happened near the town of La Grulla, in Starr County. Among those on board were a woman and three men, Vera said.

Border Patrol spokespeople did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the crash occurred near La Grulla. He provided no further details and referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

La Grulla is located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The Starr County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook Friday that it was assisting with a “helicopter crash incident” on the east side of the county.

Vera said the scene had been secured by the sheriff’s office and federal officials were on their way.

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 flew 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.