GAO audit finds missing evidence in homicide of ICE detainee at Camp East Montana

A Government Accountability Office audit released Tuesday revealed that evidence tied to the January 3 death of detainee Geraldo Lunas Campos at the Camp East Montana detention facility in Texas was either destroyed or could not be located. The audit notes that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a discrepancy report in February after the private contractor operating the camp failed to provide use-of-force and death reports for the incident.

The El Paso medical examiner ruled Campos' death a homicide by asphyxiation, contradicting the Department of Homeland Security's earlier claim that he had attempted suicide during a struggle with guards. Multiple detainees told reporters that guards had choked Campos after he repeatedly asked for medication. > "The officers entered, grabbed him, and the last thing we could hear him say was: 'They are choking me, they are choking me.'"

An internal ICE inspection earlier this year identified dozens of violations of national detention standards at Camp East Montana, including failures to document use-of-force, provide medical care, and respond to grievances. The GAO report also said ICE spent millions of dollars to expedite the contract and opening of the facility before terminating the agreement and selecting a new contractor in April.

When asked for comment on the missing evidence, the Department of Homeland Security did not respond. A DHS spokesperson said the new contractor will enable the camp to meet higher detention standards and increase on-site medical care, adding that the contract includes a more precise quality-assurance surveillance plan and greater oversight of contractors.