Sheriff confirms 2 Border Patrol agents killed

May 12, 2011 at 1:09p.m.

GILA BEND, Ariz. (AP) — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has confirmed that two U.S. Border Patrol agents have died in a crash involving an SUV and a freight train in southwest Arizona.

Arpaio tells The Associated Press the FBI will be taking over the investigation.

Border Patrol Agent Michael Espinoza tells the AP the agents were assigned to the Yuma sector. Authorities have not said what led to today’s crash but the Border Patrol was investigating.

Television video shows a lengthy freight train with what appears to be a mangled vehicle in front of the train’s engine. Tarps were placed over some of the wreckage.

The crash occurred near Interstate 8, several miles west of Gila Bend and just over 100 miles east of Yuma.