A US military helicopter crashed Friday afternoon near the southern border killing two soldiers and a US Border Patrol agent, according to a statement from the military.
Another soldier was injured in the incident.
The soldiers killed in the crash were US National Guardsmen, according to the military, which said the names of the deceased are being withheld pending family notifications.
The UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to the federal Southwest border support mission was conducting aviation operations near Rio Grande City, Texas, the statement said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the statement said.
The helicopter was following migrants before it crashed in “an open field,” Starr County Judge Eloy Vera told CNN.
A person in critical condition was sent to McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Texas, Vera said. County officials were waiting on federal authorities to get to town so they can start the investigation, he added.
CNN has reached out to the hospital for additional information.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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