TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection is saddened to report the death of a 29-year-old man from Guatemala on Saturday morning in a Tucson area hospital. We would like to express our condolences to his family.
Late on the evening of March 25, the man was apprehended by Casa Grande Border Patrol Agents. On the afternoon of March 26, the man showed signs of medical distress at the Tucson Coordination Center in Tucson, Arizona. CBP medical personnel immediately attended to him and notified local Emergency Medical Services (EMS). After EMS arrived, the man went into cardiac arrest and after being stabilized was transported to Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. On March 27, the man was pronounced deceased by hospital medical personnel.
The care of those in CBP’s custody is paramount. Consistent with policy, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility has initiated a review. The man’s death will also be reviewed by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Government of Guatemala is being informed.