All federal prisons have been placed on lockdown after a gang fight broke out in Texas between inmates, leaving two dead and two wounded.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons told the Washington Examiner that 120 facilities were placed on shutdowns “in an abundance of caution” in an effort to “ensure the good order of our institutions.”
“We anticipate this security measure will be short-lived,” the bureau added in the statement.
A fight broke out around 11:30 a.m. on Monday between multiple inmates at the United States Penitentiary, Beaumont, according to a press release from the bureau. Inmates had been members of the MS-13 street gang, sources told the Associated Press.
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Two inmates, 54-year-old Guillermo Rojas and 34-year-old Andrew Pineda, were transported to a local hospital and were later pronounced dead, according to the bureau.
Rojas, an inmate at USP Beaumont since May 1, 2013, had been sentenced in the Eastern District of California to serve out a 456-month sentence for carjacking and interference with interstate commerce. While Pineda, an inmate at the facility since Feb. 16, 2021, had been sentenced in the Central District of California to serve out a 78-month sentence for racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations conspiracy, according to the press release.
Two other inmates were left injured and were subsequently transported to a local hospital to receive “further medical assessment and treatment,” according to the press release.
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No staff or additional inmates were injured as a result of the fight, and the public was never in any danger, according to the press release.
The bureau said it would continue to watch over “events carefully” and will make adjustments to operations as need be and as “the situation evolves.”
