Overview

• Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, 32, was pronounced dead at 7:02 a.m. on August 31 at Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona.
• ICE said the cause of death is unknown and opened an investigation, notifying its national operations center per protocol.
• Batrez Vargas was held at the Arizona Central Correctional Complex in Florence after a July 15 arrest in Phoenix on aggravated assault, drug possession and evading authorities.
• He pleaded guilty to the latter two charges and received probation, yet remained in ICE custody from August; the Mexican Embassy was notified and confirmed his death.
• Reporting places ICE’s fiscal 2025 deaths at at least 14—surpassing 2024 and marking a five-year high—with some outlets citing 15, and agency policy calls for public notice within two business days.