Immigration operations in the US have taken another victim after a 28-year-old Mexican national was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer truck while trying to escape from federal agents.
The incident, which occurred in the city of St. Augustine, Florida, was reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by local police.
Chronology of the incident
According to the official statement of Sergeant Dylan Bryan of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), four people were in a car that was stopped in the parking lot of a gas station and a 24-hour store. There, they had an "unexpected encounter" with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security (HSI) agents.
As officers approached, the four passengers took off and began running on foot. One of them suddenly jumped out onto the busy country road State Road 16, coming directly in front of a passing tractor-trailer. The driver of the truck stopped immediately and attempted to provide first aid, but the refugee died at the scene from his serious injuries. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later confirmed that the deceased was a Mexican citizen. The condition and whereabouts of the other three people remain unclear.
A series of fatalities and political repercussions
The death in Florida marks the third fatal incident in ICE operations in the past seven days. Before that:
- In Texas: On July 7, during a routine roadside check in Houston, agents shot and killed Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Authorities later admitted that he was not the target of the operation.
- In Maine: On July 13, in the city of Biddeford, 26-year-old Colombian citizen Johan Sebastian Guerrero was shot in his car during a similar operation, and it was also found out that there was a mistake and he was not the wanted person.
The cases unleashed mass protests by human rights organizations and sharp criticism from Democratic politicians, who accused immigration authorities of creating “chaos, fear and death“.
Extraordinary measures from Washington
In response to the escalating tension and the black streak, the administration of President Donald Trump took a sharp turn in its tactics. Media sources, including TIME and ABC News, reported that ICE agents were ordered temporarily suspend most roadside vehicle inspections in the country. A spokeswoman for the service declined to comment on specific operational tactics, but said procedures are constantly being evaluated for safety.
The investigation into the incident in Florida is being conducted jointly by the state Highway Patrol and federal agencies.