U.S. federal authorities are investigating the death of a Nicaraguan immigrant at a major migrant detention facility on a Texas military base. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports the man appears to have died by suicide. This incident follows another recent fatality at the same facility.
Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, was found dead on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the tent detention complex at Fort Bliss, a U.S. Army base near El Paso. ICE stated that Diaz “appears to have taken his own life” and confirmed that a federal investigation is ongoing.
Camp Montana East had already drawn attention earlier this month after the death of another detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55. ICE initially reported that the death occurred while agents attempted to prevent a suicide.
A preliminary investigation by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office found that Lunas Campos died from asphyxiation due to compression of the chest and neck, and that the death could be classified as a homicide.
A fellow detainee told the Associated Press that Lunas Campos, who was handcuffed, refused to return to his cell when at least five agents allegedly pinned him to the ground. According to this account, one agent applied pressure to his neck with his arm. ICE states that the death remains under internal investigation.
Victor Manuel Diaz’s Immigration Background
Federal authorities report that Victor Manuel Diaz was arrested on January 6 in Minnesota as part of the immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump’s administration. He was then transferred to Texas.
Diaz entered the United States in March 2024 and was initially apprehended by Border Patrol. He was released on parole pending an immigration court hearing. After failing to attend a hearing in August, a judge ordered his removal. ICE reports that a final removal order was served on January 12, two days before he was found unresponsive in his cell.
ICE has not released further details about the circumstances of Diaz’s death. The agency states it routinely notifies Congress and issues an official statement for every death in custody.
Satellite images from August 7, 2025, analyzed by Planet Labs and released by the Associated Press, show the scale of the Fort Bliss site, which consists of large white tents built to accommodate a growing number of detained migrants.
The recent deaths at this facility have renewed criticism of detention conditions, mental health management, and the use of force at centers operated or overseen by ICE, especially since the tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration.
Human rights organizations and immigration attorneys regularly criticize the lack of transparency regarding deaths in detention and call for independent investigations.
Federal authorities maintain that safety is their priority, but these cases have increased fear and uncertainty among many detained migrants, including those from Latin American and Caribbean communities. ICE has reaffirmed its full cooperation with ongoing investigations.
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Source: Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
