Report: Cuban immigrant's death at Camp East Montana likely 'homicide'

The story of what happened to Geraldo Lunas Campos just got a lot darker.

The 55-year-old Cuban migrant died on January 3 at an ICE detention center in El Paso. At first, the official story was vague—ICE simply said he had "experienced medical distress." Now, a far more disturbing version of events is emerging, and his death is being investigated as a possible homicide.

A new report from the *Washington Post* has brought some shocking details to light. An employee from the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office actually called Lunas Campos's daughter, telling her the death likely wasn't an accident. A chilling audio recording of that call captures the early findings. The employee shared the doctor's initial conclusion for the cause of death: "asphyxia due to neck and chest compression."

"Our doctor is believing that we’re going to be listing the manner of death as homicide," the employee stated.

An eyewitness account seems to confirm this. Santos Jesus Flores, another migrant held at the facility, told the *Post* he saw Lunas Campos struggling with five guards who were trying to move him to a segregation cell. During the fight, he said Lunas Campos desperately pleaded in Spanish that he couldn't breathe.

So, what's the official story from ICE?

Their news release, which didn't even come out until January 9, paints a very different picture. ICE claims Lunas Campos became "disruptive" in a medication line and refused to go back to his dorm. They say that because of this, officials had to move him into segregation. It was only then, the release states, that staff noticed he was in distress and called for help. Lifesaving efforts began, but it was too late.

For now, the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office is in a holding pattern. The chief of operations confirmed they're waiting on a toxicology report before releasing the final autopsy. Meanwhile, the FBI, which would normally investigate a homicide at a federal facility, couldn't be reached for comment.

Tragically, this isn't an isolated case. Lunas Campos is the second immigrant to die at the Camp East Montana facility since it opened in August 2025. He's also one of at least four immigrants who have died in detention since the new year began.