Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), died on January 6 at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, California. The cause of death was related to heart issues.
According to ICE, Yanez had been held at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico. On January 4, staff moved him to the medical unit after he reported chest pain. He was then taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center before being transferred by helicopter for further treatment at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, where he died early in the morning two days later.
Yanez entered the United States without legal authorization and was first arrested by U.S. Border Patrol near Eagle Pass, Texas, in June 1993 for illegal entry and removed from the country. He later reentered the U.S. without authorization at an unknown date and applied multiple times for temporary protected status between 1999 and 2012; all applications were denied.
ICE officials encountered and arrested Yanez during a targeted operation in Newark, New Jersey on November 16, 2025. He was served with a notice charging removability and placed into ICE custody pending removal proceedings at the time of his death.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Professional Responsibility was notified about Yanez’s death via the Joint Intake Center, following standard ICE policy. The Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles also received notification by phone.
ICE states that it notifies Congress, relevant stakeholders, and media when deaths occur among individuals in its custody and posts updates on its public website. Reports regarding detainee deaths are required by law to be published within 90 days under provisions described in the DHS Appropriations Act of 2018; these can be found on ICE’s Detainee Death Reporting page through ICE.gov.
In a statement about conditions within its facilities, ICE said: “ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergency care.”
