A migrant at the southern US border died after being forced to exit a moving vehicle during a Border Patrol pursuit in Lukeville, Arizona. The incident occurred in March, according to a statement from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The situation began when a Border Patrol camera spotted two individuals at a gas station in Lukeville getting into a car suspected of transporting illegal immigrants. Border Patrol agents were alerted to the suspected “human smuggling activity,” leading agents to pursue the vehicle.
After a brief chase, the vehicle slowed to approximately 45 mph, at which point a man and a woman exited the still-moving vehicle. While one agent continued to pursue the vehicle, another stopped to assist the man and woman. The man was found with severe injuries, including facial bleeding, a broken arm, labored breathing, and appeared unconscious. The woman sustained minor injuries.
The man was transported to a hospital in Phoenix, where he was later pronounced dead after suffering permanent loss of brain function. The woman, who was confirmed to be in the country illegally, informed authorities that she and the man were ordered by the driver to exit the vehicle.
Initially hesitant due to the speed, they eventually jumped when the car slowed down.
CBP has taken the remaining passengers of the vehicle into custody, and the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is conducting an investigation into the incident.
“[Homeland Security Investigations] and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are investigating this incident, and CBP’s OPR is reviewing. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General was notified,” CBP said in its statement.
