SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has identified the agent who died in a helicopter crash near the U.S.-Mexico border in East County on Monday.
Jeffrey Kanas was the agent who died in the crash, according to an Instagram post from CBP. CBP says Kanas started his career with the agency in Oct. 2008 as an air interdiction agent.
"Please keep his family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts," CBP wrote in the post.
The crash happened at around 10:15 a.m. Monday, north of SR-94 and south of Barrett Lake in Portero, CBP told ABC 10News.
In a statement sent to our newsroom Monday, CBP said Kanas was on a border security mission when an "aviation mishap" happened. Kanas was the only person in the helicopter, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, CBP said.
ABC 10News captured video from the scene showing the downed helicopter, as well as an American flag lying on the ground covering the body.
A search for the helicopter's tail number on FlightAware indicates it had left from Brown Field Municipal Airport in Otay Mesa around 9 a.m. Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating this crash.
