Autopsy finds Cuban immigrant in ICE custody died of asphyxiation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Cuban immigrant held in solitary confinement at an immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down and stopped breathing, an autopsy report released Wednesday ruled the death a homicide.

Geraldo Lunas Campos died on January 3 after a fight with guards. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of four was trying to kill himself and Camp East Montana staff tried to save him.

But a witness told The Associated Press last week that Lunas Campos was grabbed and handcuffed by at least five guards, and one put his hand around his neck and squeezed until he passed out.

An autopsy report from the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office showed signs of a struggle on Lunas Campos’ body, including a gash on her chest and knees. He was also bleeding from his neck. Deputy Medical Examiner, Dr. Adam Gonzalez. The cause of death was determined to be neck and neck compression.

The report said witnesses saw Lunas Campos “become unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement.” It did not detail what happened during the struggle but cited evidence of injuries to his neck, head and torso related to physical restraints. The report also noted the presence of petechial hemorrhages—small blood spots from ruptured capillaries that may be associated with acute stress or injury—on the skin of the eyelids and neck.

Forensic pathologist who reviewed AP’s autopsy report. Victor Weedon stated that the presence of petechiae in the eyes “supports” the conclusion that death was due to asphyxiation. Those injuries suggest pressure on the body and are often associated with such deaths, he said.

He said the injuries to Lunas Campos’ body could indicate physical restraint, and that the injuries to the neck were consistent with an arm or knee.

An autopsy also found the presence of prescription antidepressant and antihistamine drugs, Lunas Campos had a history of bipolar disorder and anxiety. It is not mentioned that he attempted suicide.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the autopsy report.

ICE’s initial account of the death, which made no mention of a fight with guards, said Lunas Campos became disruptive and staff moved him to a segregated area.

“While in isolation, staff saw him in distress and contacted on-site medical personnel for assistance,” the agency said in a Jan. 9 statement. “Medical personnel responded, initiated life-saving measures, and requested emergency medical services.”

Lunas Campos was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.

Last Thursday, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Lunas Campos attempted suicide and guards tried to help him.

“Campos violently resisted security personnel and continued to attempt to take his own life,” she said. “During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”

Camp Montana East is a sprawling tent facility in the desert on the grounds of Fort Bliss, an Army base. The AP reported in August that the $1.2 billion facility, expected to be America’s largest detention facility, was being built and operated by a private contractor headquartered in a single-family home in Richmond, Virginia. The company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, had no prior experience running a correctional facility.

It was not immediately clear whether the guards present when Lunas Campos died were government employees or private contractors.

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 had lived for more than two decades. He was admitted to the U.S. legally in 1996, part of a wave of Cuban immigrants trying to reach Florida by boat.

ICE said he was picked up in July as part of a planned immigration enforcement operation that made him eligible for removal because of criminal convictions.

New York court records show that Lunas Campos was convicted in 2003 of having sex with a person under the age of 11, a crime for which he was sentenced to a year in prison and placed on the state’s sex offender registry.

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Foley reported from Iowa City.