Texas sheriff conducting criminal investigation into deadly National Guard helicopter crash near border [Video]

New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, were killed when a UH-72 Lakota helicopter they were flying crashed near, Rio Grande City, Texas, Mar. 8, 2024. (New York Army National Guard)

(NEW YORK) — A deadly crash involving a National Guard helicopter is the focus of an investigation in Texas into whether there was any criminal wrongdoing involved, ABC News has learned.

The March 8 incident near the U.S.-Mexico border resulted in the deaths of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, who were members of the New York Army National Guard, and U.S. Border Patrol agent Chris Luna, a South Texas resident, U.S. officials said.

An unidentified National Guard member was injured in the collision, which occurred in rural Starr County.

Although the crash involved a New York-based crew, the UH-72 …