Defense Department’s Joint Task Force North said the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota was “conducting aviation operations” near Rio Grande City, Texas before crashing.
President Biden’s southern border crisis continues to spiral out of control. The latest comes as a reconnaissance helicopter monitoring a group of migrants illegally crossing the border crashed on Friday afternoon, killing two US National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent and injuring a fourth person.
A statement from the Defense Department’s Joint Task Force North said the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota crashed around 1450 local time while it was “conducting aviation operations” near Rio Grande City, Texas.
On X, Fox News’ Bill Melugin posted horrific images of the mangled helicopter that appears to have fallen out of the sky.
BREAKING: Per sources, there are “multiple fatalities” after a federalized National Guard helicopter w/ 3 National Guard soldiers working under federal Title 10 orders and a Border Patrol agent on board crashed in the RGV in La Grulla, TX this afternoon.
They were not working… pic.twitter.com/axsHqMXFwr— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 9, 2024
For the pilots out there, when a mechanical failure occurs, autorotation can be applied as a last-ditch emergency maneuver to glide the helicopter to the ground. However, altitude is needed.
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Melugin also posted on X a video of what appears to be Mexican cartel members laughing as the helicopter crashed.
BREAKING: Per Border Patrol source, cartel members were watching the helicopter on their drone when it crashed, then they zoomed into the crash site and laughed about it. Posted on cartel social media. The La Grulla area sees frequent cartel activity via drug & human smuggling. pic.twitter.com/WC9IhFolat
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 9, 2024
The cause of the crash is under investigation.