Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old Mexican national, was killed on 14 July after fleeing from federal immigration officials at a gas station in St Augustine, Florida. Reports confirm he was in the US on a tourist visa and had arrived only three weeks before his death.
Details of the incident
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Coronilla was part of a group of five men approached by federal officials, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at a gas station on that Tuesday morning. All five men ran, and Coronilla darted into traffic, where he was struck and killed by a semi-truck.
Victim's background and family
Coronilla, from the Mexican state of Guanajuato, had been in Florida for only two days. He first traveled to Atlanta to visit family and friends before heading to Florida for beach vacation. He leaves behind a wife, a seven-year-old son, and a seven-month-old daughter. His wife learned of his death through news reports and contacted the immigrant rights group Colectivo Arbol for assistance, according to the Miami Herald.
Part of a series of ICE-related deaths
Coronilla's death is one of four ICE-related fatalities in less than a week. Two individuals were shot and killed by ICE officers—one in Texas and one in Maine—and a fourth person died in ICE custody while being transferred to a detention center in Georgia. These incidents have intensified public and congressional calls to rein in ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as they enforce the Trump administration's mass deportation policies.
Official statements and identification
DHS has not publicly identified Coronilla, but the Associated Press confirmed his identity with a Mexican government official. While the Florida Highway Patrol described the operation as an ICE operation, a homeland security source told the Guardian that border patrol agents were also involved.
