A man in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement died of unknown causes while in an Arizona prison, according to the federal agency.
Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, 32, was detained at the Central Arizona Correction Complex in Florence after he was arrested in early August for drug-related charges in Flagstaff, according to an ICE news release.
Batrez Vargas was taken from the Florence prison to the Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa where he was pronounced dead at about 7 a.m. Aug. 31, according to the release.
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Batrez Vargas’ cause of death was unknown and remained under investigation, the release said.
Batrez Vargas was a citizen of Mexico and had encounters with law enforcement as early as 2018, according to ICE.
In 2018, Batrez Vargas was arrested by Flagstaff police for DUI and was later convicted of the offense by Flagstaff Municipal Court, the release said.
In March 2024, he was arrested again for DUI by Flagstaff police, and he later was sentenced to 10 days in a Flagstaff area jail, according to ICE.
On Aug. 2, 2025, Batrez Vargas was arrested for drug paraphernalia possession/use and transferred by the agency’s enforcement and removal operations team to the prison in Florence, according to the release.
Authorities notified the Mexican Embassy of Bartez Vargas’ death along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility via the Integrity Coordination Center, the release said. This is consistent with ICE’s policy, according to the release.
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“ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” the release said.
Those in ICE custody receive a medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility and a full health assessment within 14 days of arriving, according to the release.
ICE also provides access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care, the release said. Emergency care is never denied, ICE said.
Rey Covarrubias Jr. reports breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@gannett.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ICE detainee dies in Arizona prison; cause of death under investigation
Reporting by Rey Covarrubias Jr., Arizona Republic / Arizona Republic
