Members of a notorious Mexican cartel were seen laughing as they watched a National Guard helicopter plummet to the ground killing three people.
The aircraft, carrying three soldiers and a Border Patrol agent, crashed near the southern border in Texas. After the chopper burst into flames, the group was captured on camera roaring and hurling insults. Footage from a US Customs and Border Protection agent shows cartel members watching the servicemen's final moments.
Two soldiers and the agent perished in the crash, authorities confirmed. A third soldier had a miracle escape but is badly injured and continues to fight for his life in hospital. The Joint Task Force North announced that the names of the deceased will not be released until the next of kin have been notified.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Before the mission, the National Guard said the soldiers were taking to the air to "keep watch for illicit drug and human trafficking as well as undocumented immigrants" as they explained more about the flight.
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The clip, obtained by Fox News, shows the cartel celebrating the devastating crash. The cartel members were seen dashing through the field in La Grulla, Texas, before screaming in Spanish. "Go to he--,". According to an agent, the region sees frequent illegal activity. The area is often at the centre of drug and human smuggling, they claim.
New York National Guard UH-72's Lakota helicopter was carrying the soldiers and the agent at the time of the crash. Authorities confirmed the crash happened at approximately 2:50pm and said the four personnel were conducting aviation operations near the Rio Grande City.
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Before the flight, the National Guard released a statement confirming the mission. They said last week: "The New York Army National Guard is sending one of its two UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters and a four-member aircrew to the Arizona/Mexico border today.
"The aircraft and crew will deploy to Marana, Arizona, in support of the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies to assist in monitoring the Arizona/Mexico border.
"The New Yorkers will fly aerial reconnaissance missions along the border, keeping watch for illicit drug and human trafficking as well as undocumented immigrants. The four-man crew will be accompanied by a Customs and Border Patrol agent on all missions. The agent has the ability to make arrests if necessary and also knows the area the crew will be patrolling.
"With infrared capabilities and a high-powered searchlight, the Lakota can easily track people on the ground and coordinate with Border Patrol agents. The skills the aircrew learn on the border - working with law enforcement and conducting air search operations - can be employed in New York during disaster response missions.
"This is not the first time New York National Guard troops have deployed to the border with Mexico. In 2006-2008, more than 1,000 New York National Guard Soldiers deployed to the border as part of Operation Jump Start and New York aviators have supported Arizona and Texas aerial reconnaissance missions since 2012.
"And nearly a century ago, in 1916, the New York National Guard sent 17,000 members of the “New York Division” to Texas as part of a 110,000-member force mobilized by President Woodrow Wilson to prevent repeats of a raid on Brownsville, Texas, by the Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa. The Guardsmen served in Texas from July 1916 to February 1917."