A Guatemalan couple was detained by US immigration authorities after a traffic stop in Florida. While Lucia Pedro Juan was deported to Guatemala, her husband, Francisco Gaspar Cristobal Andres, died on December 3 while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The death occurred after several weeks of detention at Camp East Montana, an immigration facility located at Fort Bliss military base in Texas. According to Lucia Pedro Juan's testimony, they were both arrested in September during a traffic stop in South Florida, where they had lived for years. After their arrest, they were taken to an ICE facility and subsequently separated without any possibility of communicating with each other. As the woman told the El Paso Times, she tried to approach her husband during an interview with immigration agents, disobeying orders so she could see him one last time. "I never saw or heard from him again," she told the American newspaper. Days later, both were transferred to Texas, where they were detained in the same complex, but in different areas.

Deportation of the wife and death in custody

Lucia Pedro Juan was deported on November 28 from Texas to Guatemala, without being allowed to visit her husband even though, according to her testimony, she had already been informed that her health was in serious condition. The woman stated that she accepted the deportation for fear of becoming seriously ill under the conditions of the detention center.

Francisco Gaspar Cristobal Andres was hospitalized on November 16 due to the progressive deterioration of his health and died on December 3 in a hospital in El Paso. According to ICE, the cause of death was attributed to liver and kidney failure of natural origin.

Official version and causes of death

In a statement cited by the same media outlet, ICE indicated that the man received constant medical attention during his detention and was treated for various conditions before his hospitalization. Subsequently, an autopsy by El Paso County determined that the death was caused by complications from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that the allegations of inhumane conditions at Camp East Montana are false and defended the medical care provided to detainees. However, legislators and civil organizations have questioned these claims and called for investigations into the center's operations. Life in the United States and Family Situation: According to the El Paso Times, the couple had entered the United States separately more than 18 years ago and resided near Homestead, Florida, where they raised their five children and operated a plant nursery as part of the local community. After Lucia Pedro Juan's deportation, the family was divided between two countries. The woman returned to her home community in Guatemala, where she received news of her husband's death days after his deportation from the United States.

Repatriation and current situation

According to the El Paso Times, the family requested support from the Guatemalan government for the repatriation of Cristobal Andres's body, with the goal of holding a burial in his hometown. However, they face financial difficulties in covering the costs of the transfer.

The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it was notified by ICE about the death and requested an investigation into the cause of death, in addition to providing the family with information about the repatriation process.