A Romanian citizen died Sunday in federal custody in Otay Mesa, less than two weeks after he was detained near the border, officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers detained Cristian Dumitrascu, 50, on Feb. 22 near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, the agency said Monday in a news release. He was handed over to ICE custody March 1 and held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
Marcus Johnson, a spokesperson for ICE, declined to comment Monday on the investigation or the reason Dumitrascu was detained.
An autopsy will determine his cause of death, officials said.
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility and the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. were all notified of Dumitrascu's death, officials said.
"ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments," the agency said in a statement. "Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay."
Detention standards require that all people in ICE custody receive medical screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care, officials said Monday.
This is the second ICE-custody death in fiscal year 2023, according to the agency's website.
Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza, a Nicaraguan national, died Oct. 13 after suffering a medical emergency in his dormitory at an ICE facility in Aurora, Colorado. He was taken to a hospital, went into cardiac arrest and died.
Mendoza had been in ICE custody for about five months.
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