La Grulla, March 9: A helicopter carrying three National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent crashed along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas on Friday, killing three of the people on board, a county official said. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, the county's top local official, said a fourth person on board was in critical condition. The crash happened near La Grulla, which is in Starr County. Border Patrol spokespersons did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Texas Helicopter Crash: Three Including Border Patrol Agent Killed After National Guard's Helicopter Crashes in US Close to Mexican Border (See Pic)

La Grulla is in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. The Starr County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook on Friday that it was assisting with a “downed helicopter incident” on the east side of the county. In January, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter patrolling the state's border with Mexico lost power and crashed, officials said at the time. The co-pilot suffered a minor hand injury and the helicopter was significantly damaged. Helicopter Crash in Colombia: Chopper Crashes Into Building Moments After Taking Off in Medellin, No Casualties (Watch Video)

 

That helicopter was flying as part of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's nearly $10 billion border mission that has tested the federal government's authority over immigration.

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