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  4. Summary of Incident: Female migrant crushed under crashed smuggling vehicle after fleeing from Border Patrol

Summary of Incident: Female migrant crushed under crashed smuggling vehicle after fleeing from Border Patrol

Release Date
Thu, 01/16/2025

This notification is being issued to the public pursuant to the CBP policy regarding Notification and Review Procedures for Certain Deaths and Deaths in Custody and the Department of Homeland Security FY 2021 Appropriation (H. Rept. 116-458) reporting requirements related to CBP-involved deaths.

On Sunday, July 14, 2024, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) monitoring a remote video surveillance system observed a silver sport utility vehicle pick up a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens approximately 7.5 miles northeast of the Santa Teresa, New Mexico Port of Entry and approximately 2.3 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border. The surveillance system operator broadcasted the location to other BPAs on patrol in the area. Multiple BPAs responded and located the vehicle at an intersection on the New Mexico/Texas border. The BPAs followed the vehicle for approximately one mile into Texas and initiated a vehicle stop at approximately 5:10 p.m.

The vehicle did not yield to the marked Border Patrol vehicle’s emergency equipment and instead performed a U-turn and fled at a high rate of speed. The BPAs lost sight of the vehicle and began searching for it. At approximately 5:11 p.m., a BPA found the vehicle rolled over off an adjacent road, resting on its side. The BPA immediately requested additional assistance via service radio.

At approximately 5:13 p.m., Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrived and assumed control of the accident scene. Agents and troopers observed that some of the occupants of the vehicle were injured and requested emergency medical services. Agents and troopers found one occupant, a female citizen of Guatemala, pinned under the vehicle.

At approximately 5:21 p.m., El Paso Fire Department arrived, assumed medical care of the woman, and extracted her from under the vehicle. Fire department emergency medical technicians (EMTs) found that she was unconscious and required assistance breathing but had a pulse. EMTs determined that she had also sustained crushing injuries under the weight of the vehicle and was bleeding from her mouth and ears. At approximately 5:27 p.m., the EMTs transported the woman to University Medical Center of El Paso. Doctors at the hospital assumed medical care and admitted her in critical condition and Border Patrol established a hospital watch over her.

On July 18, 2024, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a doctor at the hospital pronounced the woman deceased.

On July 19, 2024, the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death was accidental due to blunt force trauma.

CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was notified. 

Last Modified: Jan 27, 2025