3 killed as National Guard helicopter crashes near US-Mexico border

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) – Three people, including two National Guard members and a US Border Patrol agent, were killed in a National Guard helicopter crash near the US-Mexico border in Texas on Friday.

"A UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to the federal Southwest border support mission crashed at approximately 2:50 p.m. MST today while conducting aviation operations near Rio Grande City, Texas," the Joint Task Force North said in a statement.

Another soldier on board sustained injuries, with the cause of the incident currently under investigation, said the military unit that supports federal law enforcement agencies along the US border.

"The names of the deceased will not be released until the next of kin have been notified," it added.