Recording: Coroner Likely To Rule ICE Detainee's Jan. 3 Death A Homicide

A recording obtained by The Washington Post indicates the El Paso County medical examiner's office is likely to rule the Jan. 3 death of a detainee at Camp East Montana a homicide.

Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at Camp East Montana, a large temporary tent facility near the U.S.-Mexico border. In a statement issued six days after his death, ICE said staff "observed him in distress" after he "became disruptive while in line for medication," and that medical personnel initiated lifesaving measures before emergency medical services pronounced him dead. The agency did not provide a cause of death.

Medical Examiner Recording

In a recording shared with The Washington Post, an employee at the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner told Lunas Campos's daughter that a doctor is listing the preliminary cause of death as "asphyxia due to neck and chest compression." The staffer said the office expects the manner of death to be ruled a homicide pending toxicology results.

"The preliminary cause of death is asphyxia due to neck and chest compression," the employee said on the recording.

Witness Accounts and ICE Records

Internal ICE documents reviewed by The Washington Post indicate Lunas Campos died after a struggle with facility staff. A fellow detainee, Santos Jesus Flores, told reporters he saw Lunas Campos struggle with five guards after refusing to return to his housing unit and described seeing guards choke the detainee as he repeatedly said, "No puedo respirar" ("I can't breathe").

ICE noted publicly that Lunas Campos had prior convictions, including unlawful possession of a weapon during a robbery, sexual contact with a child under 11, driving while intoxicated, and sale of a controlled substance. The agency also said a judge ordered his removal in 2005, but deportation did not occur because travel documents were not obtained. ICE said he was arrested by immigration officials on July 14 and transferred to Camp East Montana on Sept. 6.

Facility Conditions and Broader Context

Camp East Montana has been described by migrants and inspectors as a makeshift tent encampment where detainees have reported poor conditions and physical abuse. ICE inspectors have cited dozens of violations of federal detention standards at the site.

The case adds to heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement. Last week, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis during an enforcement action. Deaths in immigration detention have risen in recent years: at least 30 people died in custody last year — the highest total in two decades — and four people died in detention in the first nine days of 2026, according to The Washington Post.

The medical examiner's final ruling will depend on toxicology and other forensic results. Investigations by the medical examiner's office and federal authorities are ongoing, and calls for transparency and independent review have grown louder as more details emerge.