Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old man from the Mexican state of Guanajuato, was killed on July 14 after being struck by a semi-truck while running from federal immigration officials in Florida. The incident occurred on a Tuesday morning at a gas station, where officials approached Coronilla and a group of four other men. Following the encounter, the men fled the scene, and Coronilla ultimately ran into traffic, where he was hit by the truck.
As reported by The Guardian, Coronilla was only in the United States on a tourist visa. He had arrived in the country just three weeks prior to his death. He initially traveled to Atlanta to visit friends and family before heading to Florida to enjoy the beaches. He had only been in Florida for two days when the fatal incident took place.
His family was left in the dark for a significant period. His wife, who traveled to the United States last week to handle arrangements, only discovered her husband had died after seeing the news. She reached out to an immigrant rights group called Colectivo Arbol for assistance. According to the group, Coronilla leaves behind a seven-year-old son and a seven-month-old daughter.
This tragedy has once again brought federal immigration enforcement under the scanner
While a state highway patrol spokesperson confirmed the death resulted from an encounter with federal officials, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, there are conflicting details regarding the agencies involved.
A source familiar with the case from the Department of Homeland Security told the media that Border Patrol agents were also involved in the operation. The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly identified Coronilla, though his identity was confirmed by a Mexican government official.
This tragedy is part of a string of events that has drawn intense scrutiny toward federal immigration enforcement. Coronilla’s death is one of four ICE-related fatalities that occurred in less than one week. During that same period, two people were shot and killed by ICE officers in Texas and Maine, respectively. A fourth individual died while in ICE custody during a transfer to an immigration detention center in Georgia.
These events have sparked renewed demands from the public and various lawmakers to increase oversight of ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security. These calls for reform come as the agencies work to implement the mass deportation campaign promise of President Donald Trump.
Published: Jul 22, 2026 05:15 pm