3 killed after National Guard helicopter crashes along Texas-Mexico border

LA GRULLA, Texas - Three people are dead after a National Guard helicopter crashed along the Texas-Mexico border.

The crash happened Friday in the small town of La Grulla in the Rio Grande Valley.

The helicopter was carrying three National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent, said Starr County Judge Eloy Vera. 

Military officials confirmed two soldiers and the Border Patrol agent were killed. A third soldier is in critical condition.

The Starr County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook on Friday that it was assisting with a "downed helicopter incident" on the east side of the county involving four people.

The soldiers were working on federal orders and were not part of Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star.

DPS referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.