2 soldiers, 1 Border Patrol agent killed in helicopter crash in South Texas

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Three people — two soldiers and one U.S. Border Patrol agent — were killed when a helicopter assigned to the federal Southwest border mission crashed Friday afternoon, March 8 in South Texas, according to a news release sent out by Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss.

The UH-72 Lakota helicopter was conducting “aviation operations” when it crashed at about 2:50 p.m. MST near Rio Grande City.

Two soldiers and one Border Patrol agent were killed. One soldier was injured.

The names of the dead will not be released until the next of kin have been notified.

The release did not say where the soldiers were stationed or where the helicopter was from.

Joint Task Force North is headquartered at Fort Bliss and coordinates planning and support for federal law enforcement along the border in the fight against trans-national crime.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, according to the news release.

This is a developing story and we will update it when we learn more.

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