16-year-old migrant boy who died in US Border Patrol cell lay dead on floor for hours before being found
WESLACO, TEXAS: A Guatemalan boy was captured on video as he lay dead on the floor for hours in government custody before someone found his lifeless body.
According to the US Customs and Border Protection, 16-year-old Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez died on May 20 at a Border Patrol station in Weslaco, Texas, just days after he illegally crossed over to the US and was apprehended by immigration officials.
ProPublica obtained a surveillance video of a holding cell at the Weslaco facility where the boy was seen lying on the floor in his last moments.
As is mandatory for unaccompanied minors, the boy was waiting to be transferred to the custody of the Health and Human Services Department after he was diagnosed with the flu and taken to the Weslaco facility for treatment.
Carlos is first seen in the footage walking inside a cell in the Weslaco facility wearing a dark long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and a white mask. He is subsequently seen lying down on a cement bench while another unidentified boy is seen sleeping on a bench across from him.
The teenager soon moves out of the camera's view for some time before coming back in the view and collapsing to the floor.
Based on ProPublica's analysis of the footage, Carlos stayed still on the floor for about 10 minutes before walking to the toilet and collapsing soon after.
The analysis found the video abruptly ends and restarts about four hours later before his cellmate wakes up and alerts a Border Patrol agent.
According to the Weslaco Police Department, who released the footage, the video was split in two parts before they handed it over to their investigators.
According to a CBP spokesperson, the investigation into Carlos' tragic demise was still underway.
"While we cannot discuss specific information or details of this investigation, we can tell you that the Department of Homeland Security and this agency are looking into all aspects of this case to ensure all procedures were followed," the spokesperson said.