Mexican tourist dies after fleeing ICE in Florida

Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28‑year‑old Mexican from San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, was in the United States on a tourist visa visiting family in Atlanta before traveling to Florida for a beach vacation. On 14 July 2024, ICE agents conducted a surprise operation at a gas‑station parking lot near St. Augustine. Coronilla and three companions fled on foot; while crossing State Road 16 he ran into the path of an oncoming tractor‑trailer and was fatally struck. He was the third person to die in a week in encounters with ICE, following earlier deaths in Texas and Maine.

Coronilla’s wife, Yezzika Alamilla, confirmed he had a return flight scheduled for 18 July and left behind two young children. U.S. authorities, including the Florida Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigation, are investigating the traffic fatality, while the Mexican government has asked U.S. prosecutors to review recent migrant deaths. The case has heightened tension between migrant‑rights groups and U.S. immigration enforcement.