Autopsy finds Cuban immigrant in ICE custody died of homicide due to
asphyxia
[January 22, 2026]
By MICHAEL BIESECKER and RYAN J. FOLEY
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Cuban migrant held in solitary confinement at an
immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down
and he stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report released
Wednesday that ruled the death a homicide.
Geraldo Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 following an altercation with guards.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of
four was attempting suicide and the staff tried to save him.
But a witness told The Associated Press last week that Lunas Campos was
handcuffed as at least five guards held him down and one put an arm
around his neck and squeezed until he was unconscious.
His death was one of at least three reported in little more than a month
at Camp East Montana, a sprawling tent facility in the desert on the
grounds of Fort Bliss, an Army base.
The autopsy report by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office found
Lunas Campos' body showed signs of a struggle, including abrasions on
his chest and knees. He also had hemorrhages on his neck. The deputy
medical examiner, Dr. Adam Gonzalez. determined the cause of death was
asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.
The report said witnesses saw Lunas Campos “become unresponsive while
being physically restrained by law enforcement.” It did not elaborate on
what happened during the struggle but cited evidence of injuries to his
neck, head and torso associated with physical restraint. The report also
noted the presence of petechial hemorrhages — tiny blood spots from
burst capillaries that can be associated with intense strain or injury —
in the eyelids and skin of the neck.
Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy report
for AP, said the presence of petechiae in the eyes support the
conclusion that asphyxia caused the death. Those injuries suggest
pressure on the body and are often associated with such deaths, he said.
He said the contusions on Lunas Campos’ body may reflect physical
restraint and the neck injuries were consistent with a hand or knee on
the neck.
The autopsy also found the presence of prescription antidepressant and
antihistamine medications, adding that Lunas Campos had a history of
bipolar disorder and anxiety. It made no mention of him attempting
suicide.
Government provided changing accounts of what happened
ICE's initial account of the death, which included no mention of an
altercation with guards, said Lunas Campos had become disruptive and
staff moved him into a cellblock where detainees are held away from
others.
“While in segregation, staff observed him in distress and contacted
on-site medical personnel for assistance,” the agency said in its Jan. 9
statement. “Medical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and
requested emergency medical services.”
Lunas Campos was pronounced dead after paramedics arrived.
Last Thursday, after Lunas Campos' family was first informed the death
was likely to be ruled a homicide, Department of Homeland Security
spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin amended the government's account, saying
he had attempted suicide and guards tried to help him.
“Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt
to take his life,” 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 sex predator.”
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New York court records show Lunas Campos was convicted in 2003 of
sexual contact with a person under 11, a felony for which he was
sentenced to one year in jail and placed on the state’s sex offender
registry. Lunas Campos was also sentenced to five years in prison
and three years of supervision in 2009 after being convicted of
attempting to sell a controlled substance, according to the New York
corrections records. He completed the sentence in January 2017.
“ICE takes seriously the health and safety of all those detained in
our custody," McLaughlin said Wednesday, adding that the agency was
investigating the death. DHS has not responded to questions about
whether any outside law enforcement agency was also investigating.
Deaths put a spotlight on Camp East Montana
The AP reported in August that the $1.2 billion contract to build
and operate Camp East Montana, expected to become the largest
detention facility in the U.S., was awarded to a private contractor
headquartered in a single-family home in Richmond, Virginia. The
company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, had no prior experience running
a corrections facility and has subcontracted with other companies to
help operate the camp.
It was not immediately clear whether the guards present when Lunas
Campos died were government employees or those of a private
contractor.
A final determination of homicide by the medical examiner would
typically be critical in determining whether any guards are held
criminally or civilly liable. The fact that Lunas Campos died on an
Army base could limit state and local officials’ legal jurisdiction
to investigate.
Lunas Campos was among the first detainees sent to Camp Montana
East, arriving in September after ICE arrested him in Rochester, New
York, where he lived for more than two decades. He was legally
admitted to the U.S. in 1996, part of a wave of Cuban immigrants
seeking to reach Florida by boat.
ICE said he was picked up in July as part of a planned immigration
enforcement operation due to criminal convictions that made him
eligible for removal.
In addition to Lunas Campos, ICE announced that on Dec. 3 an
immigrant from Guatemala held in Camp East Montana died after being
transferred to a El Paso hospital for care. While the cause of death
was still pending, the agency said Francisco Gaspar-Andres, 48, was
suspected to have died of liver and kidney failure.
On Sunday, ICE announced that Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old
immigrant from Nicaragua, died at Camp East Montana on Jan. 14 of a
“presumed suicide.” The agency said Diaz was detained by ICE earlier
this month during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Unlike with the two prior deaths, Diaz's body wasn't sent to the
county medical examiner in El Paso. McLaughlin said Wednesday that
the autopsy for Diaz is being performed at the Army medical center
at Fort Bliss. DHS again did not respond to questions about whether
any agency other than ICE will investigate the death.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso,
called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Todd M.
Lyons to brief Congress about the recent deaths.
“DHS must preserve all evidence — including halting their effort to
deport the witnesses,” Escobar said Wednesday. “I reiterate my call
for Camp East Montana to be shut down and for the contract with the
corporation running it to be terminated.”
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Foley reported from Iowa City.
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