A National guard soldier at the U.S.-Mexico border died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to a Tuesday statement from Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Cecilia and I are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of a soldier with the Texas National Guard. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the soldier,” Abbott said in the statement.
“I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the soldier’s family during this heartbreaking time. And for any Texan who is in crisis, we urge you to seek help immediately from a family member, loved one, or a mental health service,” Abbott added.
Abbott deployed around 10,000 National Guardsmen and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers in March 2021 to respond to the influx of migrants illegally crossing the border into Texas. Between October 2021 and August 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered a record of over 2,000,000 migrants.
Military units from US Border Patrol and the National Guard arrive to the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 23, 2022. – A Louisiana federal judge blocked the Biden administration on Friday from ending Title 42, a pandemic-related border restriction that allows for the immediate expulsion of asylum-seekers and other migrants. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)
There have been several reports of soldiers deployed with Abbott’s mission committing suicide. Additionally, Texas Army National Guard Specialist Bishop E. Evans, 22, drowned in the Rio Grande river in Eagle Pass in April.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the recent incident, according to Abbott’s statement.
Neither DPS nor the Texas Military Department (TMD) responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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