National Guard helicopter crashes near US-Mexico border, 3 dead, 1 injured

National Guard helicopter crashes near US-Mexico border, 3 dead, 1 injured

A helicopter crash near the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday evening resulted in three deaths and one person injured, as stated by Joint Task Force North.

The crash occurred on Friday in the middle of the afternoon while the helicopter was engaged in aviation operations, as mentioned in the statement. No additional details were given.

A defense official mentioned that the helicopter involved in the crash was the National Guard Lakota UH-72.

The helicopter, assigned to the federal Southwest border support mission, crashed around 2:50 p.m. MST on Friday during aviation operations near Rio Grande City, Texas, as stated by JTF-N. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.

A woman and three men were among those on board, said Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, the county's top judge. He said the injured person was in a critical condition.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, who leads the National Guard Bureau, expressed his sympathy to the families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues of the three individuals who lost their lives. He also sent prayers for a swift recovery to the injured soldier.