1 Dead, 2 Injured in Rollover Crash After Border Patrol Pursuit

EL PASO, TEXAS – A single-vehicle rollover crash near the SR-185 U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint resulted in the death of one woman and the discovery of five other undocumented migrants, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This all happened early Wednesday, January 24, 2024, around midnight when USBP El Paso Sector dispatch reported a sighting of six or seven possible migrants near the SR-185 checkpoint.

A Border Patrol agent from the Las Cruces Station responded in a Mobile Video Surveillance System truck, along with another agent in a marked vehicle and a K9 handler in an unmarked unit.

Preliminary information from the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility revealed that a tan sedan with a broken headlight was seen speeding north on Levee Road by a Border Patrol agent. The sedan, carrying a male driver, a female passenger, and several individuals in the back seat, turned north on Levee Road, evading an attempted stop by the K9 unit agent.

At around 12:50 a.m., the sedan, suspected to be transporting undocumented migrants, continued north at high speed with both Border Patrol agents in pursuit. Due to wet road conditions, the agents deactivated their emergency equipment. Moments later, the agents lost sight of the sedan for 15-20 seconds before discovering it had crashed.

Upon arriving at the crash site, agents found one woman, a U.S. citizen, conscious on the ground near the vehicle. The agent observed one individual running across Levee Road and broadcasted via service radio a possible wreck and "absconders," a fugitive who runs away and hides to avoid arrest or prosecution.

Another woman, later identified as a Guatemalan national, was found injured in the back seat. Despite the agents’ efforts to render aid, the Guatemalan woman became unresponsive. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived at approximately 1:20 a.m. but were unable to detect a heartbeat and ceased lifesaving measures by 1:23 a.m.

The crash involved six other individuals, including the male driver, a U.S. citizen, and five undocumented migrants from Guatemala. Four of the undocumented individuals were taken to Las Cruces Border Patrol Station for processing, while the injured female U.S. citizen and one undocumented migrant were transported to Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator pronounced the Guatemalan woman deceased at approximately 6:13 a.m. Investigations are ongoing by the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has been notified.