Mexican National Killed After ICE Encounter in Florida

By David Okafor

Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old Mexican national, died on July 14, 2026, after being struck by a semi-truck while fleeing an encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents near a Wawa gas station in St. Augustine, Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the incident.

Coronilla Durán had entered the United States on a tourist visa and had been in the country for approximately three weeks, spending two to three days in Florida before the incident, according to his wife, Yésica Alamilla López. The couple had traveled from San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico.

At the time of the encounter, Coronilla Durán was with three other individuals in a vehicle. ICE agents approached, prompting the group to flee on foot. While one person was arrested and two others escaped, Coronilla Durán was fatally struck while attempting to cross the highway.

The incident has drawn significant attention from advocacy groups and local communities. A Jacksonville veterans group organized a vigil at the site, and the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance demanded accountability and an end to 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to assist in immigration operations.

U.S. Senator Rick Scott has urged ICE to release all relevant information, including body camera footage and witness accounts, to ensure transparency in the investigation.

The Government of Guanajuato has offered support to Coronilla Durán's family and is assisting with repatriation procedures through Mexico's Orlando consulate.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of fatalities linked to U.S. immigration enforcement operations, marking at least the tenth such death since the initiation of intensified deportation efforts.