OAN Staff James Meyers
2:10 PM – Friday, April 18, 2025
The U.S. military released the names of the two Marines that were tragically killed in a vehicle accident on Tuesday after swerving off the road into a 10-foot ditch — rolling over along a narrow highway in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
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The two Marines were identified as Lance Cpl. Albert A. Aguilera, 22, of Riverside, California, and Lance Cpl. Marcelino M. Gamino, 28, of Fresno, California. The two service members were both combat engineers with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, according to the 1st Marine Division.
The now-deceased military members were reportedly there to assist in the Trump administration’s crackdown on the border — stopping illegal crossings and halting drug smuggling into the U.S., such as fentanyl.
During his service, Gamino received the National Defense Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. He was also deployed to Darwin, Australia, with Marine Rotational Force-Darwin in 2024.
Aguilera enlisted in March 2023 and was promoted to Lance Corporal in May 2024, according to the release.
“The loss of Lance Cpl. Aguilera and Lance Cpl. Gamino is deeply felt by all of us,” U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tyrone A. Barrion, the commanding officer for 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and Task Force Sapper, said in a statement.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of our fallen brothers. Our top priority right now is to ensure that their families, and the Marines affected by their passing, are fully supported during this difficult time,” Barrion added.
The Marines had been driving along a two-lane highway, as they tried to pass another vehicle, causing their civilian Jeep vehicle to roll into a ditch called “Snake Canyon” — which is known for holding snakes and drug smugglers.
However, following the accident, the two Marines were taken to University Medical Hospital, El Paso, Texas, where they later died. According to the report, a border agent “was covered head to toe” in blood, after attempting to save the service members.
“That area out there is treacherous,” said a source.
“It would be a horrible place to go off the road because the canyon is right off the shoulder. It has concrete tunnels that run underneath the highway and we have sensors there because illegal aliens hide under it and then get picked up by a load vehicle,” said another source.
Meanwhile, a third Marine in the battalion remains in critical condition after sustaining injuries in the accident, the 1st Marine Division said.
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