A 68-year-old man died while under the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month after suffering a heart-related medical issue, the agency announced Friday.
Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a Honduran national, died Tuesday after he was admitted to an Indio hospital for heart-related health issues, according to ICE.
The man was detained at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico when staff there observed his need for medical attention. On Jan. 4, he was taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center for chest pain, then taken via helicopter to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio for further care.
He ultimately was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m. on Jan. 6.
According to ICE, Yanez-Cruz entered the U.S. “without inspection, admission or parole by an immigration officer.” He was arrested in Texas in June 1993 by U.S. Border Patrol for illegal entry and then re-entered the country unauthorized.
The agency added that between 1999 and 2012, Yanez-Cruz submitted several applications for temporary protected status, but they were denied. He was detained by immigration agents on Nov. 16, 2025, during an operation in Newark, New Jersey.
ICE said it notified the Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles of Yanez-Cruz’s death.