A tragedy unfolded in the early hours of January 24 resulting in a vehicle rollover that claimed the life of a woman. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Paso Sector were pursuing a tan sedan carrying multiple individuals, suspected to be undocumented non-citizens, which led to a high-speed chase that ended in disaster on Levee Road.
The incident began when Border Patrol agents received a report of possible migrants on foot near the SR-185 checkpoint. As agents attempted to intercept the sedan, the driver sped away before losing control of the vehicle, resulting a rollover accident. While initially stopping for the Border Patrol, the sedan promptly resumed its flight, leading to the fatal crash. Agents on the scene responded immediately, providing aid to the victims and calling for EMS backup.
During the emergency response, agents found one woman on the ground near the vehicle and another unresponsive woman in the back seat, who was later pronounced dead at the scene by EMS personnel. This woman, initially unidentified, was later determined to be a national of Guatemala. In a statement obtained by CBP, the agents rendered aid to the injured and conducted searches for other passengers, eventually locating several others, including the driver, a U.S. citizen. One injured undocumented non-citizen and the injured female U.S. citizen were taken to Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office, together with Homeland Security Investigations, is investigating this incident, and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing it. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was notified in line with the policy on Notification and Review Procedures for Certain Deaths and Deaths in Custody.
