Nicaraguan Man's Death at Texas Detention Camp Reported as Suicide in 911 Records

Nicaraguan Man's Death at Texas Detention Camp Reported as Suicide in 911 Records

Newly released 911 records indicate that a Nicaraguan man who died at a troubled Texas detention camp, days after being detained by immigration authorities in Minneapolis, is suspected of having died by suicide. The incident raises further questions about conditions at the facility, which has faced multiple allegations of violence and neglect.

Details of the Incident and 911 Call

Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan national, was found by guards on January 14 in a room at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. According to a 911 call obtained by The Associated Press through a public information request, a camp official reported that Diaz had attempted to die by suicide. The caller, who identified himself as health administrator Luis Gonzalez, stated, "They were doing rounds and they just found him with his pants tied up to his neck, I believe."

Emergency medical services reports released on Wednesday corroborated this, suggesting Diaz was suspected of hanging himself with a bed sheet. Federal authorities have labelled the death a "presumed suicide", though the findings of an autopsy have not been publicly released.

Family and Legal Concerns Over the Death

Randall Kallinen, an attorney representing Diaz's family, expressed deep suspicion regarding the suicide claim. He highlighted that Diaz was not known to be depressed and had strong family ties, with plans to reunite with his mother, two sons, and siblings in Nicaragua if deported. "Even if it is suicide, was there something that happened to him that drove him to suicide?" Kallinen questioned, emphasising the need for a thorough investigation.

The family's doubts are compounded by the circumstances of Diaz's detention. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents picked him up on January 6 in Minneapolis during operations targeting individuals potentially in the country illegally. He was then transferred to the sprawling tent complex at Camp East Montana in Texas.

Pattern of Issues at Camp East Montana

Diaz's death marks at least the third fatality at Camp East Montana since it opened last year at Fort Bliss, a facility designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees near the U.S.-Mexico border. Advocates for detainees have alleged a persistent pattern of violence, abuse, and neglect at the camp.

• One prior death, that of 55-year-old Cuban native Geraldo Lunas Campos on January 3, has been ruled a homicide by a medical examiner, citing physical restraint by guards.
• A witness described guards pinning Lunas Campos to the ground in handcuffs, with one applying a chokehold until he could no longer breathe.
• ICE stated that guards intervened to assist Lunas Campos after a suicide attempt and that he resisted them, though a camp official initially told police it was a suicide.

In addition, on December 3, Francisco Gaspar-Andres, a 48-year-old immigrant from Guatemala held at the camp, died after being transferred to an El Paso hospital, with suspicions pointing to liver and kidney failure.

Calls for Closure and Ongoing Investigations

A coalition of advocacy groups and a Democratic congresswoman representing El Paso have called for Camp East Montana to be shut down, citing safety concerns and the series of deaths. Lawyers for Lunas Campos's family have sought an emergency court order to prevent ICE from deporting detainees who witnessed the struggle, underscoring the urgency of transparency.

ICE announced Diaz's death on January 18, noting that security staff "found Diaz unconscious and unresponsive in his room" and that he "died of a presumed suicide" with the cause still under investigation. Unlike previous cases, Diaz's body was not sent to the county medical examiner in El Paso for an autopsy; instead, an Armed Forces pathologist conducted it at Fort Bliss, with results potentially taking months to be released.

During the 911 call, Gonzalez informed the dispatcher that a medical team was attempting to revive Diaz and requested an ambulance. Paramedics later found him lying on his back in a hospital bed without a heartbeat, as per an El Paso Fire Department incident report.

Diaz had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024, requested asylum, and was released, but a judge ordered his removal after he missed an immigration hearing. Relatives in Nicaragua lost contact with him after he went to work at a suburban restaurant on January 6 and later learned of his detention. They received a call from ICE on January 15 informing them of his death, leaving them "in disbelief," according to Carlos Morales of the Texas Nicaraguan Community, which assisted in repatriating his remains.