Key facts
- A Mexican man, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, died in Florida after fleeing federal immigration officers.
- Coronilla Durán was on vacation in the U.S. on a tourist visa, according to his wife and Mexican officials.
- He ran from agents and was struck by a tractor trailer on July 14.
- His death is the third in about a week involving encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
- His remains will be repatriated to his hometown in Mexico.
A Mexican man, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, died on July 14 in St. Augustine, Florida, after running from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and into the path of a tractor trailer. According to his wife, Yezzika Alamilla, and Mexican officials, Coronilla Durán was on vacation in the U.S. on a tourist visa and was not working. He had traveled from his home in Guanajuato, Mexico, to visit family in Atlanta before going to Florida for a beach trip.
Authorities stated that Coronilla Durán was one of four individuals in a vehicle that stopped at a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. on the day of his death. During an encounter with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents, all four fled on foot, with Coronilla Durán darting across a busy road and being struck by a semi-truck.
Alamilla contacted Colectivo Arbol, a farmworkers advocacy group, the day after her husband's death seeking assistance to travel from Mexico and repatriate his remains. The organization provided her with a plane ticket and accommodation until the Mexican consulate could assist her. His wife believes he ran due to fear.
Coronilla Durán's death is reportedly the 10th involving encounters with immigration agents since President Donald Trump initiated a mass deportation campaign. The Mexican government has requested a review of migrant deaths in ICE custody or during raids for potential criminal prosecution.