American Citizen High on Drugs Dies in Border Patrol Custody During Life Saving Efforts

EL PASO – Border Patrol agents removed an American Citizen walking in the middle of the roadway partially clothed near El Paso recently who appeared to be on drugs and later died despite life saving efforts by authorities.  

Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Paso Sector Intelligence Unit Evidence Collection Team encountered a male subject approximately four miles northeast of the Bridge of Americas, near El Paso on Dec. 30, 2022. The man, a United States citizen, was walking in the middle of Airway Boulevard unclothed from the waist down and posing a traffic hazard to traveling vehicles. Intelligence Unit agents approached the man in their unmarked vehicle, with their emergency lights activated, but the man refused to leave the roadway. Intelligence Unit agents handcuffed the man, removed him from the roadway and sat him down in a nearby restaurant parking lot.

Intelligence Unit agents requested the assistance of the El Paso Police Department and El Paso Fire Department Emergency Medical Services at approximately 6:37 a.m. The agents noticed the man became unresponsive, conducted two sternum rubs with no response and began to administer CPR on the man. The El Paso Fire Department arrived on scene at approximately 6:45 a.m. and assumed primary lifesaving efforts on the man. Fire department personnel requested the Intelligence Unit agents start chest compressions as they attempted to intubate the man. While attempting the intubation, EMS personnel extracted a small plastic “baggie” from the man’s  mouth. Agents secured it in an evidence bag. El Paso Fire Department EMS transported the man to University Medical Center while the Intelligence Unit agents followed the ambulance to the medical center to obtain fingerprints from the man.

The man arrived at the medical center at approximately 7:10 a.m. and was declared deceased by medical staff a short time after arrival.

This incident is under review by the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner and Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General was also notified.