On March 26, 2025, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) on a roving patrol observed a gray 2014 Honda Odyssey traveling through the California Agriculture Inspection Station in Needles, California. Suspecting concealed persons or contraband due to blankets obscuring the vehicle's interior, the BPAs stopped the vehicle on westbound Interstate 40 at milepost 145. Inside, they found a 52-year-old woman from China and three other Chinese nationals. The woman, who overstayed her B1/B2 visitor admission since February 2024, could not explain the $200,000 found in the vehicle. Consequently, the BPAs arrested her and transported her to the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Blythe Station.
The following day, on March 27, she was moved to the USBP Yuma Station and placed in a detention cell. Logs indicated multiple welfare checks and meals provided to the woman. By March 28, CBP-contract medical personnel treated her for a headache, cough, and other symptoms. They noted a rash but considered it a hygiene issue, facilitating access to shower facilities.
On March 29, an investigation revealed that the last contact with the woman was at 10:29 p.m. the previous day. The Office of Professional Responsibility's (OPR) review found that recorded welfare checks did not occur. Surveillance footage showed her tearing a mylar blanket and forming a loop, which she placed around her neck at approximately 4:47 a.m.
At 5:57 a.m., a Border Patrol Processing Coordinator found her unresponsive with the blanket around her neck. Despite immediate CPR and EMS efforts, she was pronounced deceased at 6:52 a.m. at the Onvida Health Yuma Medical Center. The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office later indicated suicide by asphyxia as the preliminary cause of death.
CBP personnel informed the Chinese Consulate, and both the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General are reviewing the incident. CBP emphasizes its law enforcement role, facilitating secure travel and trade while ensuring economic prosperity and security.
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