On October 18, 2026, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) asked the United States to clarify the death of Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, a 56-year-old Mexican man, at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas. With this death, 18 Mexican nationals have now died in custody or in the context of US immigration operations since January 20, 2025, according to the SRE.
According to The Texas Tribune, the man was found unconscious during a security inspection at around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17. Center staff performed CPR and called for emergency services. The cause of death has not yet been determined: the Webb County medical examiner is conducting the autopsy. For the Mexican community in the United States, these figures matter for a simple reason: behind every case is a family living in both countries.
The Mexican Consulate General in Laredo activated the consular protection protocol, contacted the family and provided assistance, the Foreign Ministry reported. The agency called for "a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation," according to Proceso. It also announced that it will send a complaint to the Webb County prosecutor and will ask, through the Embassy in Washington, that consuls be granted access to immigration detention centers to monitor medical care.
According to the Texas newspaper, Andrade-Covarrubias lived for decades in Dallas, worked as a painting contractor and had three adult children born in the United States. His daughter Estefani Andrade, 29, told the outlet that the family learned of the death through the medical examiner's office and that he suffered from a heart condition, diabetes and hypertension. She said he carried his medications, but that, according to her, center staff did not administer them. The center did not respond to a request for comment, according to the publication.
The case is the seventh death of a person in ICE custody in Texas in 2026 and the second in Laredo, according to the newspaper. Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar told the outlet that he would visit the center and ask what happened, what the conditions were and whether medical care was available. The autopsy results and Webb County's response to the Mexican complaint will determine the next steps in the case.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.
