Two service members deployed to the U.S. southern border were killed and a third is in serious condition after a vehicle accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the military announced late Tuesday.
The region where the accident took place is just over the state line and west of Fort Bliss, a major Army installation in west Texas that has played a critical role in dispatching military deportation flights and served as a touchpoint for thousands of soldiers and pieces of equipment now deployed along the border.
The troops are deployed there in support of President Donald Trump’s executive order to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
A defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details not yet made public said the accident occurred in a civilian vehicle, but no civilians were harmed in the incident.
The incident did not involve any of the Stryker vehicles the Pentagon has sent down to the border to perform patrols, the official said.
The accident occurred around 8:50 a.m. MDT Tuesday. The names of the deceased will not be released until the next of kin are notified.
Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She was previously Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.