Mexican man struck and killed by truck after ICE encounter in Florida was on vacation, officials say

Mexican man struck and killed by truck: Wertynews.com – “`html Florida Vacationer Killed After ICE Encounter Was Tourist, Officials Confirm A

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Florida Vacationer Killed After ICE Encounter Was Tourist, Officials Confirm

A 28-year-old Mexican national visiting the United States on a tourist visa lost his life in Florida when a tractor trailer struck him following an encounter with federal immigration authorities. Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán died on July 14 after sprinting across a busy St. Augustine roadway and into the path of an oncoming truck.

Background and Travel Details

Coronilla Durán had journeyed from his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, located in central Guanajuato state, to Atlanta where he spent time with relatives and friends. According to Isaret Jeffers, who founded the farmworkers advocacy organization Colectivo Arbol, the young man remained in Georgia for approximately three weeks before heading to Florida’s eastern coastline to relax at local beaches.

While U.S. officials have not formally announced his identity, a representative from Mexico verified his name. Jeffers reported that Yezzika Alamilla, the deceased man’s spouse, informed them he possessed a valid tourist visa for his American visit. The Department of Homeland Security had not yet responded to inquiries regarding visa status as of Tuesday.

The Fatal Incident

On the morning of his death, Coronilla Durán was among four individuals whose vehicle pulled into a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. During an encounter with agents from both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, all four people fled on foot. One of them ran across a heavily traveled road directly into the semi-truck’s path, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Investigators have not yet determined what triggered the encounter or what became of the other three vehicle occupants. Both the Highway Patrol and DHS have withheld further information while their investigation continues.

Family and Aftermath

Alamilla contacted Colectivo Arbol the day following her husband’s death, seeking assistance to travel from Mexico and arrange for his remains to be returned home. The organization purchased her airline ticket and provided accommodation for three days until Monday, while the Mexican consulate has offered ongoing support.

“His wife said he was there on a tourist visa. She didn’t understand what was happening,” Jeffers explained. “He didn’t come to work; he wasn’t working. He was here as a tourist.”

According to the widow’s account, Coronilla Durán had been in the United States for only a brief period when the incident occurred. Susana Guerra Vallejo, the undersecretary for assistance to migrants and mobility issues for Guanajuato, confirmed this information along with details about the tourist visa.

“Alamilla ‘thinks he was very afraid, and that’s why he ran away,’ Jeffers said.”

Guerra Vallejo noted that Alamilla will be permitted to view her husband’s body at a Florida funeral home. The remains will travel to Mexico aboard a commercial flight departing from Orlando, with burial planned in San Luis de la Paz—a farming community situated approximately 160 miles northwest of Mexico City.

The couple shared two children: a seven-year-old son and a seven-month-old daughter, Jeffers reported.

Broader Context

Coronilla Durán’s death marks at least the tenth fatality connected to immigration agent encounters since President Trump initiated his mass deportation campaign last year. His passing occurred one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine. Additionally, on July 7, an ICE officer killed a Mexican national in Houston who had resided in the United States for many years.

The Mexican government has requested that state attorneys general across the United States examine deaths of migrants occurring during ICE custody or raids to determine whether criminal prosecution may be warranted.

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