“Our professionally trained medical staff
including licensed doctors and nurses
provide timely compassionate care
to all individuals in our custody”
said Emily Lawhead
spokesperson for
The Imperial Regional Detention Center Facility
in Calexico, California
at 1572 Gateway Road
~
Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz
died on January 9, 2026 at 1:18 am
He had been arrested on 11/16/25
in Newark, New Jersey
Within days of his arrival
at The Imperial
he was vomiting
and had pain in his stomach and chest
After a week he was tired when walking
and short of breath
They gave him pills for the pain
~
His daughter was on the phone
with his friend
when she was told he had gone to the hospital
“They were worried because dad hadn’t come back”
While they spoke
a private line called to tell her he died
“I had hoped that my dad would get
out of that place
but not this way”
She never got to say goodbye
~
Yanez-Cruz was 68 years old
He loved his children
He loved watching his 6 grandchildren
open their Christmas gifts
He was a soccer fan
a painter and construction worker
He enjoyed when his daughter made baleadas
a traditional Honduran dish
He came from Honduras for a better life
He applied for protected status twice
and was denied
~
~
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