Two service members deployed to the U.S. southern border are dead and a third is in serious condition after a vehicle accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the military announced late Tuesday.
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’s 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.
The troops are there in support of President Trump’s executive order to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Their deaths are the first stemming from that operation, according to The Washington Post, which says the incident was a vehicle rollover.
The Post cites three defense officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because the matter is under investigation as saying the incident involved U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton in California, though it wasn’t immediately clear what type of vehicle they were in.
A defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details not yet made public told The Associated Press the incident occurred in a civilian vehicle, but no civilians were harmed.
The incident didn’t 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, but the names of the deceased won’t be released until their next of kin are notified.
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