Troops conduct screening and reconnaissance operations at the border near Yuma, Ariz., April 22, 2025. (Erica Esterly/U.S. Army)
Three Marines deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico were following a Border Patrol vehicle with its lights on when the driver swerved to avoid a head-on collision and crashed into a ditch — killing both passengers, according to a local police report.
The report from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office listed improper passing and driver inattention as contributing factors to the April 15 accident, which occurred near the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station. Speed and alcohol were not factors, according to the report.
Lance Cpls. Albert Aguilera, 22, and Marcelino Gamino, 28, died in the accident, according to the Marine Corps. The service declined to release information about the driver, who was hospitalized in critical condition following the accident.
Police identified him as 19-year-old Zeth Collins. An update on his condition was not immediately available.
All were members of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division from Camp Pendleton, Calif. They were assigned to Joint Task Force — Southern Border and on duty in New Mexico at the time of the accident. The unit declined to state whether it conducted its own investigation into the crash.
The Marines were in a silver Jeep Gladiator driving west just before 10 a.m. on N.M. Highway 9 as the final vehicle in a group. The highway is two lanes with no divider in between.
A Border Patrol vehicle was in the lead with its emergency lights on, according to police. As the group approached a large commercial vehicle, the Border Patrol unit moved into the eastbound lane to pass and the group of vehicles followed.
However, when Collins navigated the Jeep around the commercial vehicle, another vehicle was approaching in the eastbound lane, causing him to veer into the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision. The Jeep continued for another 400 feet and crashed into a wall of a ditch that protruded about 5 to 8 feet out of the ground.
All three Marines were unresponsive at the scene and flown in Border Patrol helicopters to University Medical Center in nearby El Paso, Texas, according to the report.
The report does not state why the Border Patrol was using emergency lights — only that the group was moving to another location on Highway 9. Customs and Border Protection said it is not investigating the accident.
