Two service members have died and another is seriously injured following a vehicle accident near the US Southern border.
The incident occurred near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, just west of Fort Bliss, a major Army installation in West Texas. The base has been instrumental in the deployment of troops and equipment to the border and has served as a hub for military deportation flights. The military has not yet released further details about the accident or the identities of the service members involved.
The troops are deployed there in support of President Donald Trump’s executive order to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Trump administration has used military aircraft to deport people to Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia, a departure from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s previous practice to employ charter and commercial planes.
A defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details not yet made public said 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.
The accident occurred around 8:50 a.m. MDT Tuesday; the names of the deceased will not be released until the next of kin are notified.
