OSINT Dossier: Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz - ICE Detention Death¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026 (updated February 12, 2026)
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz - Death in ICE custody from medical neglect
Confidence: HIGH
Classification: detention-death / medical-neglect

PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: MTC (MANAGEMENT & TRAINING CORPORATION)

Facility operated by Management and Training Corporation (MTC) — a Utah-based for-profit prison company and the third-largest private prison operator in the United States. MTC operates Imperial Regional Detention Facility where Yanez-Cruz died. See Infrastructure for full contractor profiles.

Executive Summary¶

On January 6, 2026, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran grandfather who had lived in the United States for over two decades, died at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, California, from heart-related complications after weeks of deteriorating health in ICE detention. He was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m. Pacific Time, approximately 26 hours after being helicoptered from a local hospital to the higher-level facility in an emergency that came too late.

Yanez-Cruz had been arrested by ICE on November 16, 2025, during a targeted enforcement operation in Newark, New Jersey. After being held briefly at Delaney Hall in Newark, he was transferred approximately 2,800 miles across the country to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California -- a private facility operated by Management and Training Corporation (MTC). He was 68 years old, a grandfather, and the family's anchor. He left behind three children and six grandchildren.

His daughter, Josselyn Yanez, described weeks of her father complaining of declining health. Within days of arriving at the Calexico facility, he reported vomiting, stomach pain, and chest pain. As weeks passed, he experienced growing fatigue and shortness of breath. He told his family that medical requests had to be submitted through a tablet and could take a week or more to be addressed. When he did receive care, facility staff provided only pills -- what the family called "Band-Aid solutions." The family was surprised when ICE attributed his death to health complications, stating that "these health complications did not predate his time at the detention center."

His death was the third in ICE custody in the first six days of 2026, following Geraldo Lunas Campos (January 3, ruled homicide) and Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres (January 5, "heart issues"). Both Yanez-Cruz and Nunez Caceres were Honduran nationals who died of reported "heart issues" within 24 hours of each other. The pattern of ICE attributing deaths to vague "heart-related" causes while families report weeks of ignored medical complaints raises critical questions about systemic medical neglect in immigration detention.

VICTIM PROFILE¶

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz

Field	Detail
Full Name	Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz
Age at Death	68 years old
Nationality	Honduran
Hometown	San Pedro Sula, Honduras
U.S. Residence	Union City, New Jersey (lived in U.S. for 20+ years)
Family	Three children, six grandchildren
Immigration History	First entered near Eagle Pass, TX, June 1993; arrested and removed by Border Patrol; submitted several TPS applications (1999-2012), all denied
Criminal History	No criminal record indicated in any sources
Arrested	November 16, 2025 (Newark, NJ -- targeted enforcement operation)
Initial Detention	Delaney Hall, Newark, NJ (approximately one week)
Transfer	Imperial Regional Detention Facility, Calexico, CA (approximately 2,800 miles)
Time in Custody	51 days before death
Date of Death	January 6, 2026, 1:18 a.m. PT
Location of Death	John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Indio, California
Official Cause	Heart-related health issues

Family Portrait¶

Yanez-Cruz's daughter Josselyn described her father as a hardworking man and devoted grandfather. He called his family daily, remembered his grandchildren's birthdays, and sent gifts. He was the family's emotional center -- a man who had spent decades building a life in the United States, only to die alone in a detention facility thousands of miles from his home and family.

The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring his body to Texas so they could say goodbye before sending his remains home to Honduras for burial.

Immigration History¶

Yanez-Cruz's immigration history spans decades:
- June 1993: Entered near Eagle Pass, Texas, without inspection; arrested by U.S. Border Patrol for illegal entry; subsequently removed
- 1999-2012: Submitted several applications for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), all of which were denied
- 2000s-2025: Lived in Union City, New Jersey, for more than 20 years
- November 16, 2025: Arrested during a targeted ICE enforcement operation in Newark, NJ

THE INCIDENT -- Weeks of Decline, Then Death¶

Timeline¶

November 16, 2025:
- ICE encountered and arrested Yanez-Cruz during a targeted enforcement operation in Newark, New Jersey
- Transferred to ICE custody

~November 16-23, 2025:
- Held at Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ (approximately one week)

~Late November 2025:
- Transferred approximately 2,800 miles from New Jersey to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California
- Reason for cross-country transfer: not publicly explained

Within Days of Arrival at Calexico:
- Called his daughter reporting vomiting, stomach pain, and chest pain
- These symptoms appeared shortly after arriving at the facility

First Week at Facility:
- Told his daughter he felt tired walking and was short of breath
- Requested medical care through the facility's tablet-based system
- Told family the request process could take "a week or more" before being seen

Weeks Before Death (ongoing):
- Symptoms worsened progressively: fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain
- Repeatedly sought medical attention at the detention center
- Facility staff provided pills or what the family called "Band-Aid solutions"
- A nurse gave him pills for stomach pain
- Symptoms continued to worsen despite requests for care
- No hospitalization, no diagnostic workup, no specialist referral during this period

January 4, 2026:
- Chest pain became severe enough for facility staff to transfer him to the medical unit
- Transferred to El Centro Regional Medical Center for evaluation
- Condition serious enough to require helicopter transport to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, California, for a higher level of care

January 6, 2026, 1:18 a.m. PT:
- Pronounced dead at JFK Memorial Hospital by a physician
- Approximately 26 hours after helicopter transport
- Despite advanced hospital care, he could not be saved

Assessment: By the time emergency intervention began, weeks of untreated cardiac deterioration had likely progressed to a terminal state. The helicopter transport -- indicating acute emergency -- came after weeks of symptoms that were addressed only with pills. Earlier diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cardiac condition may have been lifesaving.

Family Notification¶

The family described the process of learning about Yanez-Cruz's condition and death as deeply distressing:
- They were aware he had been experiencing health problems through phone calls
- The emergency helicopter transport happened without their knowledge
- They were notified of his death after it occurred
- The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring his body to Texas so they could say goodbye before sending his remains home to Honduras for burial
- The emotional toll of losing a family member 2,800 miles from where he was arrested -- with no ability to visit, comfort, or advocate for better medical care -- compounds the grief

Final Days: What the Family Knew vs. What Happened¶

There is a painful gap between what the family knew from phone calls (he felt sick, was getting pills, could not get proper care) and what was happening medically. The family was powerless to intervene. They could not demand a hospital visit. They could not arrange an outside physician. They could not even be present. By the time the facility recognized the severity of his condition, the window for effective treatment had closed.

CAUSE OF DEATH¶

Official Determination¶

ICE attributed the death to "heart-related health issues." No further official medical specificity has been released.

Family's Account¶

Daughter Josselyn Yanez:

"These health complications did not predate his time at the detention center."

The family asserts that Yanez-Cruz's heart problems began after he was detained, not before. This is a critical claim: if his cardiac condition developed or was exacerbated by detention conditions, stress, and inadequate medical care, his death may constitute medical negligence.

Medical Neglect Analysis¶

Pattern of Failure:

Stage	What Happened	What Should Have Happened
Days after arrival	Vomiting, stomach pain, chest pain reported	Immediate cardiac evaluation; EKG; chest X-ray
First week	Fatigue, shortness of breath	Urgent cardiac workup; possible hospital referral
Weeks of symptoms	Pills, "Band-Aid solutions"	Specialist consultation; diagnostic imaging; monitoring
January 4	Emergency helicopter transport	This level of care should have occurred weeks earlier
January 6	Death	Potentially preventable with earlier intervention

A 68-year-old man reporting chest pain, shortness of breath, and progressive fatigue in a detention facility represents a cardiac emergency that demands immediate diagnostic evaluation, not weeks of symptomatic treatment with pills. The delay between symptom onset and proper medical intervention is the central issue in this case.

Autopsy Status¶

No public information about whether an autopsy was performed, by whom, or what it found. No independent medical review has been publicly announced.

FACILITY INFORMATION¶

Imperial Regional Detention Facility¶

Field	Detail
Location	1572 Gateway Road, Calexico, California (Imperial County)
Operator	Management and Training Corporation (MTC) -- Utah-based private prison company
Type	ICE detention facility
Function	Houses detainees in various stages of immigration proceedings

MTC's Response to Death¶

MTC stated: "Our professionally trained medical staff -- including licensed doctors and nurses -- provide timely, compassionate care to all individuals in our custody. We take every medical concern seriously and ensure that appropriate care and oversight are provided at all times."

This statement was directly contradicted by the family's account of weeks of inadequate care.

Death History at Imperial Regional¶

Yanez-Cruz was not the first to die after detention at this facility:

Date	Name	Nationality	Cause
September 2025	Name unknown	Unknown	Details not public
October 2025	Huabing Xie	China	Seizure; died same day
January 2026	Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz	Honduras	"Heart-related issues"

Notably: Weeks after Huabing Xie's death, MTC posted a job opening for a part-time physician at the facility -- suggesting a shortage of medical staff.

Oversight Failures¶

California inspection authority: State law gives county officials the power to inspect ICE detention centers in their jurisdiction, but Imperial County (and most other counties) have not exercised this power
Community access: Advocates who had visited the Imperial County detention center since 2022 to document detainee experiences were completely shut out as of August 2025
ICE oversight inspections: ICE's Office of Detention Oversight conducted inspections in January 2023 and January 2024, but no public report of a 2025 or 2026 inspection

THE CROSS-COUNTRY TRANSFER¶

The Transfer¶

Detail	Information
Origin	Newark, New Jersey (where Yanez-Cruz lived for 20+ years)
Destination	Calexico, California (2,800 miles away)
Subject	68-year-old man
Reason	Not publicly explained
Effect on Family Access	Prevented family visits; limited to phone contact
Effect on Legal Representation	Removed from counsel in New Jersey

Why This Matters¶

ICE's practice of transferring detainees thousands of miles from their communities serves multiple purposes, all of which disadvantage the detainee:

Family separation: Yanez-Cruz's family in New Jersey could not visit him in California
Legal disruption: Any legal representation he had in New Jersey was severed
Reduced oversight: Remote desert facilities face less public scrutiny
Medical continuity: Any pre-existing medical relationships were disrupted
Psychological stress: Isolation from support network increases mental health risk
Physical risk: Cross-country transport itself stresses an elderly individual

The transfer of a 68-year-old man with no criminal record 2,800 miles across the country, where he would develop fatal cardiac symptoms within days, is one of the most stark illustrations of how the ICE detention system prioritizes logistical convenience over human welfare.

PATTERN ANALYSIS¶

"Heart Issues" Deaths -- January 2026¶

Two Honduran nationals died of reported "heart issues" within 24 hours of each other:

Detail	Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres	Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz
Age	42	68
Nationality	Honduras	Honduras
Cause	"Heart issues"	"Heart issues"
Date	January 5	January 6
Location	Houston, TX	Calexico, CA / Indio, CA
Criminal Record	None indicated	None indicated
ICE Claim	"Comprehensive care provided"	"Heart-related health issues"
Family Account	Unknown	Weeks of ignored medical complaints

Critical Question: Is "heart issues" being used as a catch-all label for deaths resulting from inadequate medical care? Without independent autopsy and medical record review, the actual circumstances of these deaths remain opaque.

Medical Neglect Pattern Across 2026 Deaths¶

Case	Neglect Indicators
Geraldo Lunas Campos (Jan 3)	ICE claimed suicide; autopsy ruled homicide
Nunez Caceres (Jan 5)	"Heart issues"; no independent review
Yanez-Cruz (Jan 6)	Weeks of ignored cardiac symptoms; pills instead of treatment
Parady La (Jan 9)	Begged for help with drug withdrawal for 24 hours; died after 3 days

In multiple cases, detainees or families reported seeking medical care that was delayed, inadequate, or denied entirely. The pattern suggests systemic, not isolated, medical failures.

Detained Population and Medical Capacity¶

With the ICE detained population surging from under 40,000 to over 73,000 in one year -- an 84% increase -- the medical infrastructure has not kept pace. ICE has opened or reopened more than 130 facilities in 2025, many with minimal medical staffing. The job posting for a part-time physician at Imperial Regional after a detainee death exemplifies this gap.

MTC -- CONTRACTOR PROFILE¶

Management and Training Corporation¶

Field	Detail
Headquarters	Centerville, Utah
Type	Private prison company
Founded	1981
Government contracts	Operates correctional and detention facilities, Job Corps centers
ICE contracts	Multiple detention facilities across the U.S.

MTC is the third-largest private prison company in the United States, behind CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America) and GEO Group. The company operates immigration detention facilities, federal and state prisons, and youth Job Corps centers.

Prior Issues at MTC Facilities¶

MTC has faced scrutiny at multiple facilities:
- Detainee deaths at multiple MTC-operated facilities have raised medical care concerns
- The company has been the subject of lawsuits alleging inadequate medical care in its facilities
- MTC's standard response to deaths -- emphasizing "professionally trained medical staff" and "timely, compassionate care" -- has been contradicted by family accounts and investigative reporting in multiple cases

The Part-Time Physician Issue¶

The fact that MTC posted a job opening for a part-time physician at Imperial Regional after Huabing Xie's death raises a specific concern: was the facility operating without adequate physician coverage at the time Yanez-Cruz was detained? A part-time physician at a facility housing hundreds of immigration detainees -- many of whom are elderly, have chronic conditions, or are experiencing the health impacts of detention stress -- represents a staffing level that may be structurally inadequate to provide the standard of care required for a vulnerable population.

SAN PEDRO SULA -- ORIGIN CONTEXT¶

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz came from San Pedro Sula, Honduras -- at various points designated by international monitoring organizations as one of the most violent cities in the world. For decades, economic conditions and gang violence have driven migration from San Pedro Sula to the United States. Yanez-Cruz left in 1993, more than 30 years ago, when he was approximately 35 years old. He spent the majority of his adult life in the United States.

His case represents a pattern: long-term U.S. residents from Central America who have been in the country for decades, have built families, and have no criminal records are being swept up in enforcement operations and detained in facilities thousands of miles from their communities. The enforcement rationale treats them identically to recent border crossers, ignoring the decades of community roots and family bonds.

INVESTIGATION STATUS¶

Level	Status
Federal Investigation	No independent investigation publicly announced
ICE Internal Review	Unknown status
State (California)	No state investigation publicly announced
Imperial County	County has not exercised inspection authority
Medical Examiner	Unknown if autopsy performed
Congressional	No specific congressional inquiry into this death announced; Democratic senators have broadly called this the deadliest period for detention since 2018
Advocacy	Groups raising concerns about Imperial County detention deaths

Accountability Gap¶

The central accountability gap in Yanez-Cruz's case is the absence of any mechanism to investigate whether the medical care he received met the minimum standard. ICE's internal review processes have not historically resulted in findings of medical negligence. The private contractor (MTC) has financial incentives to minimize medical expenditures. The county has the authority to inspect but has not used it. Community advocates who previously documented conditions were shut out. The result is a system without meaningful oversight, where deaths from medical neglect generate boilerplate statements but no structural change.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

Pre-existing vs. Detention-onset: Did Yanez-Cruz have diagnosed heart disease before detention? His family says no -- that complications began in custody. Medical records from before and during detention would resolve this.
Number of Medical Requests: How many times did Yanez-Cruz request medical attention? What specific complaints were documented? When were they documented?
What Treatment Was Provided? What pills was he given? Were they appropriate for cardiac symptoms? Who prescribed them? Was a physician involved or only nursing staff?
Delay in Hospitalization: At what point should a 68-year-old with progressive chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue have been referred to a hospital? Was the weeks-long delay in hospitalization negligent by any reasonable medical standard?
Transfer Justification: Why was a 68-year-old man with no criminal record transferred 2,800 miles from New Jersey to California? Who made this decision? Was a medical clearance obtained before transfer?
Tablet-based Medical Requests: The family reported that medical requests had to be submitted through a tablet and could take "a week or more." Is this system adequate for a detention population? Does it create dangerous delays for acute conditions?
Staffing Levels: What was the physician-to-detainee ratio at Imperial Regional at the time? Was the part-time physician position filled after Huabing Xie's death?
Autopsy: Was an autopsy performed? By whom? Will findings be shared with the family and public?
Similar Cases: How many other detainees at Imperial Regional have reported delayed or inadequate medical care? Have there been other cardiac deaths?

ASSESSMENT¶

Confidence: HIGH

Confirmed (multiple independent sources):
- Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, 68, Honduran grandfather, lived in Union City, NJ, for 20+ years
- Three children, six grandchildren
- No criminal record
- Arrested November 16, 2025, in Newark, NJ, during targeted ICE enforcement operation
- Held briefly at Delaney Hall, Newark, then transferred 2,800 miles to Imperial Regional Detention Facility, Calexico, CA
- Total time in custody: 51 days
- Developed symptoms within days of arriving at Calexico: vomiting, stomach pain, chest pain
- Progressive worsening: fatigue, shortness of breath
- Repeatedly requested medical care; received pills / "Band-Aid solutions"
- Medical requests required tablet submission; could take a week or more
- Emergency helicopter transport January 4, 2026 (El Centro to Indio)
- Pronounced dead January 6, 2026, 1:18 a.m. PT, at JFK Memorial Hospital, Indio
- Official cause: "Heart-related health issues"
- Family disputes pre-existing condition: "Health complications did not predate his time at the detention center"
- Third ICE custody death in 2026; second "heart issues" death in two days
- Facility operated by MTC (private prison company)
- MTC claims "timely, compassionate care" -- contradicted by family account

Critical Assessment:

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz's death represents the slow-motion version of what happened to Geraldo Lunas Campos in an instant. Where Campos was killed in minutes by direct physical violence, Yanez-Cruz was killed over weeks by institutional indifference.

A 68-year-old man reported chest pain, shortness of breath, and progressive fatigue for weeks. He was given pills. When his heart finally failed critically, he was helicoptered to a hospital 26 hours before his death. By then, it was too late.

He was arrested for immigration violations -- not criminal conduct -- transferred 2,800 miles from his family, placed in a facility that had recently had another detainee die and was advertising for a part-time physician, and denied adequate medical care for weeks until an emergency that was no longer survivable.

This is a textbook case of medical neglect contributing to a preventable death.

SOURCES¶

Primary News Coverage¶

Official Statements¶

ICE Press Release - Illegal Alien in ICE Custody Passes Away at California Hospital

Family and Advocacy¶

Facility Background¶

Broader Context¶

Research completed: February 5, 2026, 08:52 UTC
Last updated: February 12, 2026
Priority: HIGH - Medical neglect pattern requires investigation

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only