Mexican man killed after ICE encounter in Florida was on vacation, officials say
Mexican Man Killed After ICE Encounter in Florida Was on Vacation
Tragic Death During Tourist Visit
Goldlaner.com – Officials confirmed that the Mexican man killed after ICE encounter in Florida was visiting the United States on a tourist visa. Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, died on July 14 after being struck by a tractor trailer in St. Augustine. He ran across a busy roadway while fleeing from officers during the encounter.
This incident marks the third death in roughly one week linked to Immigration and Customs Enforcement interactions. Before Coronilla Durán’s fatal accident in Florida, two other people died in separate ICE-related shootings in Texas and Maine.
Traveling for Family, Not Employment
Isaret Jeffers, founder of the farmworkers advocacy group Colectivo Arbol, explained that the Mexican man killed after ICE encounter came from San Luis de la Paz in Guanajuato state. He traveled to Atlanta to visit relatives and friends. Jeffers said he spent three weeks in Georgia before heading to Florida’s east coast to enjoy the beaches.
“His wife said he was there on a tourist visa. She didn’t understand what was happening,” Jeffers said. “He didn’t come to work; he wasn’t working. He was here as a tourist.”
While U.S. authorities have not officially announced his identity, a Mexican representative verified his name. Jeffers noted that Yezzika Alamilla, the deceased’s wife, confirmed he held a valid tourist visa for his American visit. The Department of Homeland Security had not yet responded to questions about his documentation as of Tuesday.
What Happened That Morning
Coronilla Durán was one of four people in a vehicle that stopped at a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. on the day of the incident. During an encounter with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents, all four individuals ran on foot. One of them crossed a busy road directly into the path of a semi-truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Investigators have not yet determined what triggered the encounter or what happened to the other three people in the vehicle. Both the Highway Patrol and DHS are withholding additional information while their investigation continues.
Family’s Search for Answers
Alamilla “thinks he was very afraid, and that’s why he ran away,” Jeffers said.
The day after her husband’s death, Alamilla contacted Colectivo Arbol, an organization providing legal support to farmworkers in Central Florida. She needed help traveling from Mexico and arranging for her husband’s remains to be returned home. The group bought her a plane ticket and provided accommodation for three days until Monday. The Mexican consulate has continued supporting her efforts since then.
According to information provided by the widow, the Mexican man killed after ICE encounter “had been in the United States for only a very short time (and) had a tourist visa,” said Susana Guerra Vallejo, the undersecretary for assistance to migrants and mobility issues for the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
Guerra Vallejo confirmed that Alamilla will be allowed to view her husband’s body at a funeral home in Florida. The remains will travel to Mexico aboard a commercial flight departing from Orlando, where Coronilla Durán will be buried in San Luis de la Paz, a farming community located approximately 160 miles northwest of Mexico City.
A Rising Death Toll
Jeffers revealed that Coronilla Durán and Alamilla share two children: a seven-month-old daughter and a seven-year-old son. His death represents at least the tenth fatality involving immigration agents since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign the previous year.
In response to these incidents, the Mexican government has asked state attorneys general across the United States to examine deaths of migrants occurring in ICE custody or during raids to determine whether criminal prosecution may be warranted.
