Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported that a detainee found dead at an immigration center in El Paso, Texas, last week appears to have taken his own life. The individual, identified as Victor Manuel Díaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan, reportedly committed suicide on Wednesday at a large tent facility located on the U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss military base, according to ICE’s statement.
Contracted security personnel discovered Díaz unconscious and unresponsive in his room and promptly called medical staff on-site to attempt life-saving measures.
Details surrounding Díaz’s death remain limited, with federal authorities continuing to investigate the circumstances. ICE has been contacted for further comments.
Díaz was detained on January 6 as part of a federal immigration investigation in Minnesota and was later transferred to the Texas facility. He had originally entered the U.S. around two years ago but was detained by Border Patrol. Although he was released on parole while awaiting his trial date, a judge mandated his departure from the U.S. during an August hearing which Díaz did not attend.
Just two days before being found, Díaz received a final evacuation order. He was housed at Camp Montana East, which also witnessed the recent death of another detainee, Gerardo Lunas Campos, who reportedly died after officials attempted to prevent him from committing suicide. Fellow detainees claimed that multiple officers restrained Lunas Campos, holding him down with one putting an arm around his neck.
In a preliminary investigation, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office indicated that Lunas Campos died due to asphyxia stemming from chest and neck compression, suggesting that the case would be categorized as a homicide. Meanwhile, ICE has stated that the investigation into Lunas Campos’ death is ongoing.
