A 55-year-old Mexican national who was repeatedly deported and had serious medical issues died while in federal custody following his arrest in the Los Angeles area, authorities said Friday.
Sergio Alonso Lopez died Thursday at Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, where he had been taken April 1, after vomiting blood, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lopez had been in ICE custody at the Adelanto Detention Facility when he was stricken, officials said.
He “had a history of serious medical issues, including cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension, alcohol abuse and opioid dependence with withdrawal symptoms,” according to ICE.
“The preliminary cause of death is internal bleeding,” according to officials who said Lopez was taken into custody April 7 by an ICE Fugitive Operations Team.
“Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mr. Lopez had a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1981, including past convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, felony burglary and felony drug possession,” according to ICE, which reported that “Lopez had been deported to Mexico three times since 1994, most recently in 2001.”
He is the sixth detainee to die while in ICE custody in fiscal year 2017.
“Consistent with the agency’s protocols, the appropriate state health and local law enforcement agencies have been notified about the death, as have the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility,” according to ICE. “Additionally, ICE has advised Mexican consular representatives who will notify Mr. Lopez’s next of kin.”
— City News Service