A Mexican national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement died July 8, at Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex (CAFCC), according to a news release.
An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of death, ICE officials said.
Benjamin Gonzalez-Soto, 36, was taken into custody by ICE June 30, after his release from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Intake Transfer Release facility, the release stated. He was arrested for allegedly possessing drug paraphernalia and obstructing a highway/public throughfare. Gonzalez-Soto had been deported to Mexico twice, the last time in 2012.
" On July 8, while Gonzalez-Soto was detained at CAFCC he collapsed and CAFCC medical personnel began life-saving efforts and contacted local paramedics," the news release stated. "Emergency medical personnel arrived on scene and took over efforts to save Gonzalez-Soto’s life. Gonzalez-Soto was pronounced deceased at 1:41 a.m. MST July 8."
Government agencies for the U.S. and Mexico have been notified of the death, according to the release.
"ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases," according to the release. "Fatalities in ICE custody, statistically, are exceedingly rare and occur at a fraction of the national average for the U.S. detained population."
