Preliminary Autopsy Points to Homicide in Death of ICE Detainee at El Paso Facility; DHS Provides Different Account
El Paso's autopsy indicates homicide by asphyxia in Jan. 3 death of detainee Geraldo Lunas Campos at Camp Montana East; DHS says he attempted suicide.
Overview
Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant in ICE custody and registered sex offender, died Jan. 3 at Camp Montana East detention facility in El Paso, Texas.
A preliminary autopsy cited asphyxia from chest and neck compression and suggested a homicide ruling; witnesses say guards pinned and choked Campos, while DHS reports a suicide attempt.
Camp Montana East is a large tent complex on Fort Bliss operated by a private contractor; Campos arrived there in September after an ICE arrest in Rochester in July 2025.
DHS says staff intervened when Campos "violently resisted" and medical personnel attempted resuscitation; the death remains under active investigation and toxicology results are pending.
The case raises scrutiny of restraint practices, transparency at ICE detention sites, possible jurisdictional limits on probes at military bases, and potential civil or criminal liability if homicide is confirmed.
Analysis
Analysis unavailable for this viewpoint.
Sources (8)
FAQ
Asphyxia due to neck and chest compression, likely classified as homicide pending toxicology results.
Campos became disruptive, attempted suicide, violently resisted staff intervention, stopped breathing during the struggle, and could not be resuscitated.
55-year-old Cuban citizen who entered the US in 1996, convicted of crimes including 2003 sexual contact with a child under 11 in Rochester requiring sex offender registration, arrested by ICE in Rochester on July 14, 2025, and transferred to Camp East Montana on September 6.
A large tent complex detention facility on Fort Bliss military base outside El Paso, Texas, operated by a private contractor for ICE.
ACLU renews calls to close Camp East Montana, citing it as part of a pattern of violence and abuse in ICE detention with 32 deaths last year, the highest in two decades.
History
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