A 28-year-old Mexican national died Tuesday morning after being struck by a tractor-trailer on State Road 16 in St. Johns, Florida, while attempting to evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The incident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
According to Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan, the man and three others encountered ICE agents at a Wawa gas station around 7 a.m. The group dispersed, and the victim ran toward the highway, attempting to cross State Road 16 before being hit by a truck. The truck driver attempted to perform life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that DHS law enforcement conducted an operation near St. Johns, Florida, and that an investigation into the death of a Mexican national is ongoing.
This incident marks the third death involving immigration enforcement agents since July 7. On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an undocumented migrant from Mexico, was killed during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas. ICE stated that Araujo rammed his van into one of their vehicles and refused to follow verbal commands before an agent opened fire. The DHS Office of Inspector General is investigating that shooting.
On Monday, July 15, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, was fatally shot by ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine. ICE agents were reportedly conducting surveillance at the last known address of an individual with a final order of removal. ICE stated that Guerrero attempted to flee the scene of a traffic stop and accelerated his vehicle toward agents, prompting one agent to fire. Witnesses, however, described the agent firing through the windshield as Guerrero drove. Maine Senator Angus King was informed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that Guerrero was not the target of the arrest warrant.