On June 10, 2021, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) assigned to the Deming, NM, U.S. Border Patrol Station attempted to stop two vehicles suspected of smuggling undocumented migrants, approximately 21 miles west of Columbus, NM. The two vehicles failed to yield to the lights and sirens of the BPAs and traveled approximately 34 miles on New Mexico state roads south of Interstate 10 with BPAs in pursuit. At that point, four undocumented migrants jumped from one of the moving vehicles on New Mexico State Road 146. While some BPAs stopped to render assistance, others continued to pursue the two vehicles which eventually stopped. Both drivers and their passengers were taken into custody by BPAs.
One of the four undocumented migrants who jumped from the moving vehicle, a female citizen of Ecuador, suffered head injuries and was eventually transferred to University Medical Center in El Paso, TX, where she was declared deceased by medical personnel on June 13, 2021.
This incident is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and reviewed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was also notified of the incident.