Two U.S. service members were killed, and a third was seriously hurt, in a “vehicle accident” reported near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said.
statement shared late Tuesday by the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) said three U.S. service members deployed to the U.S. Southern border were involved in a vehicle accident around 8:50 a.m. MDT Tuesday near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Two were killed, and a third remained in serious condition at a local medical facility, according to the statement.
A defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details not yet made public told the Associated Press that the accident occurred in a civilian vehicle, but no civilians were harmed in the incident.
The incident did not involve any of the scores of Stryker vehicles the Pentagon has sent down to the border to perform patrols, the official said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
It was not immediately clear what type of vehicle was involved in the crash, and what branch the service members were in. Additionally, officials said the names of the deceased would not be released until the next of kin have been notified.
The troops are deployed there in support of President Donald Trump’s executive order to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
The region where the accident took place is just over the state line and west of Fort Bliss, a major Army installation in West Texas that has played a critical role in dispatching military deportation flights and served as a touchpoint for thousands of soldiers and pieces of equipment now deployed along the border.
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