2 U.S. service members assigned to U.S.-Mexico border duty killed in N.M. vehicle crash

Two service members were killed and another was in critical condition following a vehicle accident near the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico, according to military officials on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Highway 9 at mile marker 115 near the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, as reported by NBC affiliate Ktsm from El Paso, Texas. The area is located approximately 13 miles north of El Paso and near the border. The crash took place around 8:50 a.m., stated the Joint Task Force Southern Border. Details about the deceased and injured, including their roles, were not disclosed, and the task force did not provide further information when requested on Tuesday night. The service members were part of the task force, which was established this year to oversee military operations at the border following President Donald Trump’s allocation of defense funds for this purpose. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered around 3,000 active-duty troops to gather at the U.S.-Mexico border in March as part of Trump’s initiative to combat immigration and drug trafficking. The forces included elements of a Stryker brigade combat team and a general support aviation battalion, as per the Defense Department. Initial reports from local authorities, including the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, indicated that the three service members were airlifted to a hospital. Images from the scene showed vehicle parts off the road and down a decline. The cause of the crash is currently being investigated by the joint task force.