A Mexican man on vacation in the U.S. died after being struck by a tractor-trailer while fleeing federal immigration agents in Florida. Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, was visiting the U.S. on a tourist visa when he was killed on July 14 in St. Augustine. His death was the third in a week involving encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, following fatal shootings in Texas and Maine.
Coronilla Durán traveled from his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, to Atlanta to visit family and friends before heading to Florida’s east coast to enjoy the beaches. He had been in the U.S. for about three weeks. Isaret Jeffers, founder of Colectivo Arbol, a farmworkers advocacy group, confirmed his identity and visa status based on information from his wife, Yezzika Alamilla.
The incident occurred when Coronilla Durán and three others fled on foot from a vehicle stopped in a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. during an encounter with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. He darted across a busy road into the path of the semi-truck. The Florida Highway Patrol and DHS have not provided details on what prompted the encounter or the fate of the other three individuals. Both agencies cited an ongoing investigation.
Alamilla contacted Colectivo Arbol the day after her husband’s death, seeking legal assistance. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether Coronilla Durán’s visa was valid.