The government of the United States confirmed the death this Sunday of a Mexican who was in the custody of the border authorities and who received medical attention after entering the country illegally on February 2.
The immigrant, 45 years old and whose identity has not been disclosed, entered the US. in the vicinity of the customs port of Rome, in the state of Texas, where he was seized by border agents, to whom he requested medical attention, informed the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) in a statement.
After undergoing a general medical examination in a regional medical center, the immigrant was transferred to the Medical Center of McAllen (Texas) where he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and massive heart failure, so he remained hospitalized until his death.
“This loss of life is tragic our condolences to your family and your loved ones, CBP continues to strive to guarantee a safe and humane treatment to all those who are in our custody,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs of the agency, Andrew Meehan.
This Mexican citizen is the third death of an immigrant who was in the custody of the US border authorities in the last three months.
On Christmas Eve, a Guatemalan boy 8 years old, identified as Felipe Gómez Alonzo, died in a hospital in the state of New Mexico after having been in the custody of border police for more than a week.
On December 23, the boy and his father arrived in Alamogordo, about 145 kilometers from El Paso, and the next day the child was hospitalized because he coughed and had “bright eyes.”
Just a couple of weeks before, on December 8, it was Jakelin Caal Maquín, 7 years old and also from Guatemala, who lost her life in a children’s hospital in Texas, after having illegally crossed the border with Mexico next to his father.
The National Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, attributed these deaths in December to the increase in border arrests and the fact that more and more immigrants are arriving sick.
