Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old from Mexico on vacation in Florida with a valid tourist visa, tragically lost his life on July 14 when he was struck by a semi-truck while attempting to escape federal immigration agents in St. Augustine, as reported by the Associated Press via ABC News.
The incident unfolded before 7:00 a.m. as Coronilla Durán and three others stopped at a gas station parking lot. Upon the approach of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, the group fled on foot.
In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Coronilla Durán ran across a busy highway where he was fatally hit by a freight truck. The whereabouts of the other three individuals remain unknown.
Hailing from San Luis de la Paz, an agricultural community in the state of Guanajuato, approximately 160 miles northwest of Mexico City, Coronilla Durán initially traveled to Atlanta to visit family and friends, staying for three weeks. He then journeyed to Florida's east coast to enjoy the beaches, according to Isaret Jeffers, founder of Colectivo Árbol, an organization supporting farmworkers in Central Florida.
"His wife mentioned he was there on a tourist visa. She was confused about what was happening. He wasn't there to work; he was a tourist," Jeffers stated.
His widow, Yezzika Alamilla, reached out to Colectivo Árbol the day after her husband's death, seeking assistance to travel from Mexico to handle the repatriation of his remains. The organization provided her with a plane ticket and accommodation for three days, after which the Mexican consulate took over the support.
Jeffers noted that Alamilla believes her husband fled out of fear. Susana Guerra Vallejo, Deputy Secretary for Migrant Assistance in the Guanajuato government, confirmed that Coronilla Durán "had been in the U.S. for a very short time and had a tourist visa."
Coronilla Durán's body is set to be transported via commercial flight from Orlando to be buried in San Luis de la Paz. He leaves behind two children: a seven-month-old daughter and a seven-year-old son.
The Department of Homeland Security did not comment on the validity of the visa, and both the Florida Highway Patrol and the DHS refused to provide additional details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Impact of ICE Operations
Coronilla Durán's death marks the third fatality linked to ICE operations within a week. On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican man, was shot dead by an ICE agent in Houston, Texas, a case that the Harris County Forensic Institute classified as homicide. On the same day as Coronilla Durán's death, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian, was killed in Biddeford, Maine, after being shot by an ICE agent during a vehicle operation, despite not being the intended target.
The rapid succession of these incidents prompted ICE to temporarily halt vehicle detentions on July 14 for additional agent training. However, President Donald Trump publicly dismissed the notion of abandoning the tactic shortly after. Days later, the White House confirmed that ICE's vehicle checkpoints would continue nationwide.
"The President and the Secretary of Homeland Security are aligned: vehicle checkpoints are a necessary tool for ICE agents to continue their campaign of deporting the nation’s most dangerous illegal criminals," stated Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Coronilla Durán's death is at least the tenth associated with encounters with ICE agents since Trump's mass deportation campaign began. According to a Reuters analysis, the mortality rate in ICE detention centers reached its highest level in 22 years in fiscal year 2026: 88.9 per 100,000 detainees, compared to 13 per 100,000 in 2023.
The Mexican government has urged U.S. state attorneys general to review migrant deaths in ICE custody or during raids for potential criminal charges.
Questions About ICE and Migrant Safety
What happened to Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán?
Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán died after being hit by a truck while fleeing ICE agents in Florida. He was on vacation with a valid tourist visa.
How has the U.S. government responded to these incidents?
The U.S. government, under President Trump, has continued to support ICE's vehicle checkpoints despite the fatalities. ICE temporarily paused vehicle detentions for additional training.
Has there been a response from Mexico regarding these events?
The Mexican government has requested U.S. state attorneys general to review migrant deaths in ICE custody or raids for possible criminal charges.