NORFOLK, Va. (FN) — A 24-year-old Honduran man was fatally struck by a vehicle on a Virginia highway Thursday while fleeing federal immigration agents, authorities said.
Josué Castro Rivera was headed to a gardening job when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers pulled over his vehicle in Norfolk, according to his brother, Henry Castro. Agents attempted to detain Castro Rivera and three other passengers before he fled on foot.
Castro Rivera ran across Interstate 264 near the Military Highway interchange and was hit by a 2002 Ford pickup truck, Virginia State Police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security said the stop was part of a “targeted, intelligence-based” operation. In a statement, DHS said Castro Rivera “resisted heavily and fled,” leading to his death. Officials did not respond to further questions Sunday.
Castro Rivera had lived in the United States for four years and was working to support family members in Honduras, his brother said. “He had a very good heart,” Henry Castro told reporters. “He didn’t deserve everything that happened to him.”
DHS blamed the incident on “a direct result of every politician, activist and reporter who continue to spread propaganda and misinformation about ICE’s mission and ways to avoid detention.”
Family members said authorities listed Castro Rivera’s first name as “Jose,” but confirmed it was “Josué.” DHS and state police did not explain the discrepancy.
The death follows similar incidents in recent months. In suburban Chicago, ICE agents fatally shot a Mexican man during a traffic stop. In California, two immigrants died while fleeing ICE — one fell from a greenhouse roof, and another was struck by a vehicle on a freeway.
Castro Rivera’s family is raising funds to return his body to Honduras for burial. “This is an injustice,” Henry Castro said. “We just want to give him a proper farewell.”
Civil rights groups have called for independent investigations into enforcement-related deaths, citing concerns over transparency and accountability in immigration operations.
