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A Cuban immigrant held in solitary confinement at a Texas immigration detention center died after being pinned down by guards and stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report that ruled the death a homicide.
Geraldo Lunas Campos Died due to quarrel on January 3 with the guard. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of four attempted suicide and agents tried to rescue him.
But one eyewitness told Associated Press Last Week Lunas Campos At least five guards pushed him to the ground and he was handcuffed One of them put an arm around his neck and squeezed him until he lost consciousness.
He was one of at least three deaths reported in more than a month at Camp East Montana, a sprawling tent facility in the desert at Fort Bliss Army Base.
An autopsy report released Wednesday by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office found that Lunas Campos’ body showed signs of a struggle, including abrasions on his chest and knees.
He also had bleeding from his neck. Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Adam Gonzalez. It was determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to compression of the neck and trunk.
Witnesses saw Lunas Campos “becoming unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement,” the report said. The statement did not detail what happened during the fight but cited evidence of injuries to his neck, head and torso resulting from physical restraint. The report also noted the presence of petechial hemorrhages – tiny spots of blood caused by broken capillaries – on the skin of the eyelids and neck, which may be associated with severe strain or injury.
Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist who reviewed AP’s autopsy report, said the presence of petechiae in the eyes supported the conclusion that asphyxiation caused death. He said these injuries indicate stress on the body and are often associated with such deaths.
He said the contusions on Lunas Campos’ body may reflect physical restraint and the neck injuries were consistent with a hand or knee on his neck.
The autopsy also found the presence of prescription antidepressants and antihistamines, adding that Lunas Campos had a history of bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders. It made no mention of his attempted suicide.
Government offers changing account of what happened
ICE’s initial description of the death made no mention of an altercation with guards and said Lunas Campos became disruptive and staff moved him to a cell block where detainees are kept apart from others.
“While in isolation, staff observed him in distress and contacted on-site medical staff for assistance,” the agency said in a Jan. 9 statement. “Medical staff responded, initiated life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services.”
Lunas Campos was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.
Last Thursday, Lunas Campos’ family first learned that the death was likely being ruled a homicide. Department of Homeland Security Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin revised the government’s story, saying he had attempted suicide and guards tried to help him.
“Campos violently resisted security guards and continued to attempt suicide,” she said. “During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”
After the final autopsy report was released Wednesday, McLaughlin issued a statement emphasizing that Lunas Campos was “a criminal illegal alien and convicted child sexual predator.”
New York court records show Lunas Campos was convicted in 2003 of having sexual contact with a child under 11, a felony that was sentenced to one year in prison and placed on the state’s sex offender registry. In 2009, Lunas Campos was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervision for attempting to sell a controlled substance, according to New York correctional records. He completed his sentence in January 2017.
“ICE takes the health and safety of everyone in our custody seriously,” McLaughlin said Wednesday, adding that the agency was investigating the death. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether any outside law enforcement agencies are also investigating.
Deaths put spotlight on East Camp, Montana
The Associated Press reported in August that a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate the Eastern Montana camp, expected to be the largest detention facility in the United States, was awarded to a private contractor based in Richmond, Virginia. The company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, had no previous experience operating a correctional facility and had subcontracted with other companies to help operate the camp.
It was unclear whether the guards who were present when Lunas Campos died were government employees or employees of a private contractor.
The medical examiner’s final determination of homicide is often critical in determining whether a guard is criminally or civilly liable. The fact that Lunas Campos died on an Army base could limit the legal jurisdiction of state and local officials to investigate.
Lunas Campos was one of the first detainees sent to Camp Montana East, arriving in September after ICE arrested him in Rochester, New York, where he has lived for more than two decades. In 1996, he was legally allowed into the United States, becoming part of a wave of Cuban immigrants seeking to reach Florida by boat.
ICE said he was captured in July as part of a planned immigration enforcement operation because his criminal conviction made him eligible for deportation.
In addition to Lunas Campos, ICE announced that on December 3, a Guatemalan immigrant held at a refugee camp in eastern Montana died after being transferred to an El Paso hospital for treatment. While the cause of death has not yet been determined, the agency said Francisco Gaspar-Andres, 48, died of suspected liver and kidney failure.
On Sunday, ICE announced that Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant, died of a “suspected suicide” on January 14 at a camp in eastern Montana. The agency said Diaz was detained by ICE earlier this month during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Unlike the two previous deaths, Diaz’s body was not sent to the El Paso County Medical Examiner. McLaughlin said Wednesday that Diaz’s autopsy was being performed at the Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss. The Department of Homeland Security again did not respond to questions about whether any agency other than ICE was investigating the death.
Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons to brief Congress on the recent deaths.
“DHS must preserve all evidence, including halting efforts to deport witnesses,” Escobar said Wednesday. “I renew my call for the Eastern Montana camp to be closed and the contract with the company operating it to be terminated.”