Cuban detainee dies from asphyxiation during restraint at Fort Bliss, ruled homicide
Jun 11, 2026 · El Paso, TX, Cuba

Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban man and father of four, died on January 3, 2026, at Camp East Montana detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso during physical restraint by law enforcement. Witnesses in nearby cells heard guards shove Lunas Campos into his cell after he requested his medication during nurse rounds, followed by punching and slamming sounds. Lunas Campos screamed 'I can't breathe!' and 'You're suffocating me,' with his last words being 'I cannot breathe, may God bless me.' The El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide on January 21, 2026, determining the cause was asphyxia from neck and torso compression, with evidence of neck hemorrhages, petechial hemorrhages in the eyelids, and abrasions on his chest and knees. ICE's account of events changed multiple times, initially claiming medical distress before stating staff used force while restraining him. A federal GAO report found that the facility's contractor failed to provide required use of force and death reports to ICE, and evidence associated with the incident was missing or destroyed.
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