Two New York National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent lost their lives this Friday in a helicopter accident that crashed in a field near Rio Grande City, Texas.
The deceased were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28; Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, 30, both of the New York National Guard; and Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49.
Additionally, a third member of the National Guard, the plane’s crew chief and whose name has not been made public, was seriously injured and remains hospitalized, according to report from a local media.
Grassia was a New York State Police trooper, was from Schenectady, New York, and enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2013 as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance specialist, according to the Division of Military Affairs and New York State Naval.
It is further specified that Frankoski, of Rensselaer, New York, enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2016 and trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopter pilot.
The accident occurred while the UH-72 Lakota helicopter was carrying out aviation operations in the border between the United States and Mexicoaccording to a statement issued by Joint Task Force North, a military unit that supports Customs and Border Protection.
According to journalistic reportThe president of United States, Joe Bidenexpressed his “deepest condolences” to the families of the two National Guardsmen and the United States Border Patrol agent who died.
“These brave Americans dedicated their lives to protecting our nation. They enlisted knowing the risks and believing in the mission to serve their fellow Americans by keeping our nation safe,” Biden said. “We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, as well as their colleagues in the United States National Guard and Border Patrol.”
For his part, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alexander Mayorkaspraised Luna as a “heroic public servant” in a statement this Sunday.
Gloria I. Chávez, Chief of the Border Patrol of the Rio Grande Valley sector, also stated that they were “deeply saddened by the fatal helicopter accident that claimed the life of our brother – RGV, US Border Patrol Agent Christopher Luna. from the station in the city of Rio Grande.”
Luna was stationed at the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande City station. Frankoski and Grassia were assigned to Detachment 2, Company A, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment.
The border region is heavily patrolled by state and federal authorities, including routine aerial surveillance.
