A 28-year-old Mexican man was killed Tuesday after being struck by a tractor-trailer while fleeing federal immigration agents during an enforcement operation in St. Augustine, Florida, marking the third death involving Latino men during U.S. immigration operations in the span of a week and intensifying scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man was one of four occupants of a vehicle that stopped at a gas station and convenience store along State Road 16 shortly before 7 a.m. During an encounter with agents from ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), all four individuals ran from the scene on foot. Authorities said the Mexican national ran across the busy highway and was struck by a tractor-trailer. He died at the scene despite the truck driver stopping and attempting to render aid.
Officials have not publicly released the man's identity or immigration status. The Florida Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the incident. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the operation.
The fatality is the latest in a string of deadly encounters linked to immigration enforcement that have sparked growing political and public concern.
A 28-year-old Mexican national was fatally struck by a tractor trailer while running from ICE agents in St. Augustine, Florida on Tuesday, according to Florida Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 15, 2026
It was the third death in about a week involving encounters… pic.twitter.com/lQZYsx0RYj
A tragic week for immigrants
Last week, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, was fatally shot by ICE agents during an operation in Houston, Texas. Federal officials said agents opened fire after Salgado allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon and posed an imminent threat.
However, attorneys representing his family and witnesses have challenged that account, arguing that video evidence and eyewitness testimony contradict ICE's version of events. His death has become the subject of multiple investigations and calls for greater transparency into the agency's use of force.
On Monday, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian man, was shot and killed by ICE agents during an enforcement operation in Biddeford, Maine.
ICE said agents were attempting to stop a vehicle while conducting surveillance on another individual who was the actual target of the operation. According to the agency, Durán Guerrero attempted to flee and officers fired because they believed public safety was at risk.
Witnesses have disputed that account, saying agents surrounded his vehicle before opening fire. Family members and advocates also said Durán Guerrero was legally authorized to work in the United States and was not the individual ICE intended to arrest. His death is under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and state authorities.
ICE changes tactics
The three deaths have prompted an unusual response from federal officials.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, confirmed that ICE has temporarily suspended most vehicle stops nationwide while the agency reviews its enforcement tactics following the controversial shootings in Texas and Maine. The policy change does not halt other immigration enforcement operations but pauses one of ICE's most common arrest methods as officials evaluate officer safety and procedures.
Democratic Florida Rep. Angie Nixon called the St. Augustine death another example of an immigration system "out of control," saying fear generated by enforcement operations is leading to preventable tragedies.
