A man fleeing from immigration and federal agents in Florida was fatally struck by a tractor-trailer on Tuesday, according to authorities. This incident marks the third death in a week related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, following shootings in Texas and Maine.
The victim, aged 28, was one of four individuals in a vehicle that had stopped at a gas station convenience store parking lot in the St. Augustine area before 7 a.m. During a confrontation with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents, the group ran away on foot. One individual darted across a busy road, resulting in a collision with the semi-truck, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan stated in an emailed report. The truck driver stopped and attempted to assist the victim.
This incident represents at least the 10th death involving immigration agents since President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative began last year. It remains unclear what triggered the encounter on Tuesday. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed it conducted an operation, noting that the Florida Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations are “investigating an incident resulting in the death of a Mexican national.” The department did not respond to inquiries about the other vehicle occupants’ status.
State Representative Angie Nixon, a Democrat from Jacksonville, criticized the ICE operations, calling the death a tragedy resulting from “an out-of-control agency.” She expressed concerns over ICE agents’ actions, citing incidents in Houston and Maine that also resulted in fatalities during operations.
Several other incidents have mirrored this pattern, involving individuals fleeing agents and suffering fatal vehicle impacts. Last summer, a man was killed by an SUV while escaping immigration officers near a Home Depot in Southern California. Homeland Security officials noted that 52-year-old Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez of Guatemala was not pursued by agents when struck.
In a similar incident, 24-year-old Josué Castro Rivera from Honduras was hit by a pickup truck in Norfolk, Virginia, while attempting to evade authorities during a traffic stop. Officials described the operation as “targeted, intelligence-based,” indicating that Castro Rivera had resisted heavily and fled.
The Mexican government has requested that U.S. state attorneys general examine migrant deaths during ICE detentions or raids for potential criminal prosecution.