MCALLEN (Texas, US), Feb 20 (NNN-TELESUR) — A 45-year-old man from Mexico died Monday after being taken into United States Border Patrol custody last month on suspicion of illegal entry at the United States-Mexico border, officials said.
It is the third death in recent months, following those of two Guatemalan children, who died last December while in U.S. custody, prompting an order for medical checks on all children in custody.
The man, who was not identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), was taken into custody Feb. 2 in Texas near the Roma Port of Entry on suspicion of “illegal entry,” officials said in a statement.
He had requested medical help and was taken to the McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Texas, where he was diagnosed with ailments including cirrhosis of the liver and congestive heart failure. However, the cause of the man’s death has not yet been determined, officials said.
Andrew Meehan, a CPB spokesman, said in a statement: “This loss of life is tragic. Our condolences go out to the family and loved ones.”
In December, eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonso, who belonged to a family of indigenous Maya from Guatemala, died in Border Patrol custody on Christmas from influenza, an autopsy showed. Jakelin Caal, who was seven, died of dehydration and shock hours after she was taken into U.S. Border Patrol custody. — NNN-TELESUR
