On June 27, 2024, a Border Patrol Agent from the Casa Grande Station discovered a man believed to be an undocumented noncitizen in distress near Sells, Arizona. The individual was identified as a Guatemalan citizen. At approximately 4:13 p.m., the agent reported that the man showed signs of heat-related illness and requested medical assistance.

Emergency Medical Services from the Tohono O’odham Nation arrived at around 4:45 p.m. and took over care, transporting him to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. CBP established hospital watch upon his arrival. By 10:10 p.m., he was moved to intensive care.

The following morning, on June 28, at about 6:40 a.m., the man died due to his condition. A migrant traveling with him stated they had been drinking water but noted that the deceased had felt unwell for about a day before their arrest and was left behind by the group.

The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on July 1, determining that environmental heat exposure caused the death and ruled it accidental. The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has been informed.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency," according to CBP's statement on its mission.