(ProsperNews.net) – Mexican cartel members laughed as a US helicopter crashed near the border, killing three people. Video footage obtained by Fox News shows the gangsters watching the crash via drones and cackling as the aircraft plummeted to the ground near Rio Grande City.
The Department of Defense has identified the dead agents as John Grassia, who was a New York State Trooper, Casey Frankoski of New York’s National Guard, and Border Patrol (CBP) agent Chris Luna.
The Defense Department confirmed that the UH-72 Lakota helicopter was conducting border observation operations when it crashed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Customs and Border Protection agency released a statement saying its personnel are heartbroken at the loss of their colleague Chris Luna and will continue to honor his memory and remember the sacrifices he made for his country. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that members of law enforcement and the US military put their lives on the line every day “so that the rest of us can be safe and secure.”
The tragedy follows similar incidents in recent months, including a Mississippi National Guard Apache helicopter crash on February 23 and a Utah National Guard Apache accident on February 12.
Following the Mississippi incident, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the Army National Guard’s director, ordered a temporary stand down for safety reassessments. The crash, near Booneville, Mississippi, caused the deaths of Chief Warrant Officers Byan Andrew Zemek and Derek Joshua Abbott. There were no fatalities in the Utah incident.
The site of the UH-72 crash is in an area of frequent cartel activity, according to the CBP. The agency said the criminal gangs use the area as a crossing point for human and drug trafficking and use drones to spy on US personnel. The drones furthermore carry deadly drugs, including Fentanyl, into the Texas La Grulla region. Military officials say drones present a new and growing threat to US national security.
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