OSINT Report: Pete Sumalo Montejo - ICE Detention Death¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Pete Sumalo Montejo - Death in ICE custody
Confidence: HIGH

Executive Summary¶

On December 5, 2025, Pete Sumalo Montejo, a 72-year-old lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, died at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas, after 284 days in ICE custody. Despite living legally in the United States since 1962 (63 years), ICE detained him February 25, 2025, based on a 33-year-old criminal conviction. During his 9+ months in custody, he suffered repeated hospitalizations for septic shock, pneumonia, anemia, shortness of breath, and hypoxia. He died from septic shock and pneumonia - conditions requiring ongoing medical management that ICE failed to provide adequately. This is the second death in December 2025's deadly month (7 total), and exemplifies how ICE uses decades-old convictions to detain elderly, sick legal residents until they die.

VICTIM PROFILE¶

Pete Sumalo Montejo
- Age: 72 years old
- Country: Philippines (citizen)
- Immigration Status: Lawful Permanent Resident since 1962
- Years in U.S.: 63 years (arrived 1962)
- Arrested: February 25, 2025 (ICE targeted enforcement action)
- Facility: Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, Texas
- Time in Custody: 284 days (Feb 25 - Dec 5)
- Died: December 5, 2025, 2:20 PM
- Location of Death: Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, TX
- Pronounced by: Emergency physician on duty
- Criminal History: 1992 conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child (Harris County, TX)

THE INCIDENT - December 5, 2025¶

Location: Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
Detention Facility: Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, Texas

Timeline¶

1962:
- Pete Sumalo Montejo entered United States as lawful permanent resident
- Age: approximately 10 years old
- Legal status maintained for decades

1992 (33 years before death):
- Convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child
- Harris County, Texas
- Completed sentence (details not disclosed)
- Continued living in U.S. as LPR

February 25, 2025:
- ICE arrested Montejo during "targeted enforcement action"
- Age: 72 years old
- Detained at Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, TX
- Pending removal proceedings

June 2025 (approximately 4 months in custody):
- Admitted to hospital for shortness of breath
- Diagnosed with hypoxia (low blood oxygen)
- Returned to Montgomery Processing Center

July - November 2025 (5-9 months in custody):
- Multiple hospitalizations for:
- Anemia (low red blood cells)
- Septic shock (life-threatening infection response)
- Pneumonia (lung infection)
- Pattern: Recurring serious medical conditions
- Elderly patient with chronic health issues
- Repeated emergency interventions required

December 5, 2025, 2:20 PM:
- Pronounced dead at Valley Baptist Medical Center
- Emergency physician on duty made determination
- Cause: Septic shock and pneumonia
- 284 days in ICE custody

CAUSE OF DEATH¶

Confirmed Cause:
- Septic shock
- Pneumonia

Medical Context:
- Septic shock: Body's catastrophic response to infection
- Pneumonia: Lung infection (recurrent in this case)
- Both conditions previously diagnosed during custody
- History of multiple hospitalizations for same conditions
- Elderly patient (72) with compromised health

Contributing Factors:
- Advanced age (72 years old)
- Chronic health conditions requiring ongoing management
- History of anemia (weakened immune system)
- History of hypoxia (respiratory compromise)
- Recurrent infections (July-November)
- Detention environment (increased infection risk)

MEDICAL NEGLECT ANALYSIS¶

Pattern of Repeated Hospitalizations¶

June 2025: First Hospitalization
- Shortness of breath, hypoxia
- Indicates respiratory compromise
- Returned to detention after treatment

July-November 2025: Multiple Hospitalizations
- Anemia (chronic condition requiring monitoring)
- Septic shock (life-threatening, indicates serious infection)
- Pneumonia (lung infection)

Critical Question: Why was a 72-year-old with recurrent septic shock and pneumonia kept in detention rather than released on medical grounds?

Inadequate Care Indicators¶

Recurrent Septic Shock:
Septic shock is medical emergency
Recurrence indicates:
- Source of infection not eliminated
- Underlying condition not addressed
- Environment contributing to reinfection
Pneumonia Recurrence:
Multiple pneumonia episodes suggest:
- Compromised immune system
- Inadequate treatment of initial infection
- Detention conditions facilitating reinfection
Elderly Detainee:
72 years old with multiple serious conditions
Should qualify for medical release
Risk assessment: High mortality risk in detention
Decision: Kept in custody until death

Preventability¶

Could this death have been prevented?
- YES. Septic shock and pneumonia are treatable with proper care
- Elderly patients with recurrent life-threatening infections should not be detained
- Medical release could have provided better care environment
- Home care with family support would reduce infection risk
- ICE prioritized 33-year-old conviction over 72-year-old man's life

ICE DETENTION OF ELDERLY AND SICK¶

The "Targeted Enforcement" Context¶

ICE Statement: "Targeted enforcement action"
- What makes a 72-year-old LPR with a 33-year-old conviction a "target"?
- Living peacefully in U.S. for 63 years
- No indication of recent criminal activity
- Enforcement action appears punitive, not protective

Legal Permanent Resident Status¶

Significance:
- LPR since 1962 (63 years)
- Entered as a child (approximately 10 years old)
- Entire adult life in United States
- Legal status maintained despite conviction
- ICE detained him 33 years after conviction

Question: Why now? What triggered enforcement action in 2025?

Elderly Detainee Population¶

National Context:
- ICE detains elderly individuals with serious medical conditions
- Deaths of elderly detainees disproportionately high
- Medical care inadequate for complex chronic conditions
- Pete Sumalo Montejo: Example of system failing elderly

DECEMBER 2025 CONTEXT - THE DEADLIEST MONTH¶

Seven Deaths in December 2025¶

Pete Sumalo Montejo was the SECOND of seven deaths in December 2025.

December Deaths:
1. Dec 3: Francisco Gaspar-Andrés (48, Guatemala) - Medical neglect, sepsis
2. Dec 5: Pete Sumalo Montejo (72, Philippines) - Septic shock, pneumonia ← THIS CASE
3. Dec 6: Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani (48, Pakistan) - Chronic illness
4. Dec 12: Jean Wilson Brutus (41, Haiti) - Died 24 hours in custody
5. Dec 14: Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir (46, Eritrea) - Medical distress
6. Dec 15: Nenko Stanev Gantchev (56, Bulgaria) - Untreated diabetes
7. Dec 15: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez (39, Nicaragua) - Found unresponsive

Pattern: Septic shock/pneumonia appears in multiple December deaths

2025 Context¶

Total 2025 Deaths: 31-32 (highest since 2004)
Detention Population: 68,440 (December 2025) - record high
Medical Resources: Overwhelmed by 78% increase in detention

CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

About Medical Care¶

Why was he kept in detention?
72 years old with recurrent life-threatening conditions
Why not medical release?
Who made the decision to continue detention?
Septic Shock Management:
How many episodes of septic shock did he experience?
What was the source of recurrent infections?
Why wasn't the underlying cause addressed?
Were detention conditions contributing to reinfection?
Pneumonia Treatment:
What antibiotics were administered?
Were cultures taken to identify bacteria?
Why did pneumonia recur?
Was he immunocompromised?
Hospitalization Pattern:
How many total hospitalizations June-December?
Length of hospital stays?
Return to detention after each hospitalization?
Who authorized returns despite serious conditions?

About Detention Decision¶

Why detain a 72-year-old LPR?
What triggered enforcement action in 2025?
Why not prosecutorial discretion?
Why prioritize 33-year-old conviction?
Was he a flight risk? Public safety risk?
Medical Release Consideration:
Was medical release evaluated?
Who has authority to grant medical release?
What criteria must be met?
Why didn't recurrent septic shock qualify?

About Accountability¶

Investigation:
Will there be independent medical review?
Will family have access to medical records?
Will detention decision be reviewed?
Will anyone be held accountable?

GAPS IN INFORMATION¶

Critical Unknowns:
- Complete medical records (February - December 2025)
- Number of hospitalizations (stated as "several")
- Details of each septic shock episode
- Source of infections (identified or unknown?)
- Medications administered
- Whether medical release was requested/denied
- Family notifications during medical emergencies
- Whether family was present at death
- Complete immigration court proceedings
- Reason for 2025 enforcement action (why after 33 years?)
- Whether he had legal representation
- Autopsy report
- Montgomery Processing Center medical inspection reports

ASSESSMENT¶

Confidence: HIGH

✅ Confirmed:
- Pete Sumalo Montejo, 72, Filipino citizen
- Lawful Permanent Resident since 1962 (63 years in U.S.)
- 1992 conviction: aggravated sexual assault of a child
- Arrested February 25, 2025 (ICE targeted enforcement)
- Detained at Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, TX
- 284 days in custody (Feb 25 - Dec 5)
- Multiple hospitalizations June-November 2025
- Conditions: septic shock, pneumonia, anemia, shortness of breath, hypoxia
- Died December 5, 2025, 2:20 PM
- Location: Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, TX
- Cause: Septic shock and pneumonia
- Second death in December 2025 (deadliest month on record)

🔴 Critical Issues:

Elderly Detainee with Serious Illness: 72-year-old with recurrent life-threatening conditions kept in detention until death
Recurrent Medical Emergencies: Multiple hospitalizations for septic shock and pneumonia indicate inadequate ongoing care
Legal Permanent Resident: Detained and died after 63 years legal residence based on 33-year-old conviction
Medical Release Denied: Despite qualifying medical conditions, apparently never released
Preventable Death: Septic shock and pneumonia are treatable; elderly patients with such conditions should not be detained
December Pattern: Part of deadliest month on record; medical system overwhelmed
Detention Population Surge: Death occurred during record 68,440 detainee population (78% increase)

Assessment: Pete Sumalo Montejo's death exemplifies ICE's deadly prioritization of enforcement over humanity. A 72-year-old man who lived legally in the United States for 63 years died in federal custody from treatable medical conditions. His recurrent septic shock and pneumonia hospitalizations should have triggered immediate medical release. Instead, ICE kept him detained until he died. The decision to arrest him in 2025 for a 33-year-old conviction, detain him despite serious illness, and continue detention through multiple life-threatening medical emergencies constitutes deliberate indifference to medical needs. His death was preventable, predictable, and the direct result of detention policies that treat elderly, sick individuals as enforcement priorities rather than human beings.

Recommendation: Immediate review of all elderly detainees with serious medical conditions, mandatory medical release protocols, independent investigation of Pete Sumalo Montejo's medical care, transparency in medical records, and accountability for detention decision that resulted in preventable death.

SOURCES¶

Research completed: February 5, 2026
Status: Part of December 2025 deaths documentation (7 total)
Pattern: Elderly detainee with recurrent medical emergencies - preventable death