A 52-year-old man from Nicaragua died Friday morning shortly after being taken into custody by Border Patrol agents near Tucson, Arizona, according to Customs and Border Protection.
The death marks the ninth such incident since the start of the fiscal year in October where a person died while in Border Patrol custody. The last death was announced last week.
“The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are saddened to report that a 52-year-old man from Nicaragua was pronounced deceased early this morning after he was rushed to the hospital,” CBP said in a statement Friday evening. “Our condolences are with his family.”
CBP has not shared details about incidents surrounding the death, including when the man was taken to the hospital or what symptoms he was showing that prompted the hospital call.
Agents encountered the man in a group of 36 Central Americans that they encountered west of Sasabe, Arizona, though the agency did not specify when they were found. The man’s condition deteriorated shortly after being taken into custody and transferred to a Border Patrol station in the Tucson region.
In recent weeks, Border Patrol and the Trump administration have been criticized for the substandard conditions some migrants are being held in at overcrowded federal facilities, including a incident at a Clint, Texas, facility involving children.
