Overview

• Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, 32, was pronounced dead at 7:02 a.m. on August 31 at Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa while in ICE custody.
• He was held at the Central Arizona Correctional Complex in Florence after ERO Phoenix placed a detainer following his July 15 arrest in Phoenix on aggravated assault, drug possession and evading authorities.
• ICE says the cause of death remains unknown and the case is under investigation.
• The Embassy of Mexico in the United States was formally notified and confirmed the death.
• With this case, officially recognized ICE detainee deaths in 2025 total 14, the highest level since 2021 according to agency figures cited by media.