On October 18, 2026, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) asked US authorities for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the death of Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, 56, at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas. With this case, the ministry counts 18 Mexican nationals who have died in custody or in the context of immigration operations since January 20, 2025.
The Mexican Consulate General in Laredo was notified by the local office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and activated its consular protection protocol, the ministry said. The SRE said it will send a complaint to the Webb County district attorney and will request, through the Embassy in Washington, guarantees that consuls can access immigration detention centers. For Mexican foreign policy, the case adds to a record the ministry is tracking through consular and diplomatic channels. The ministry described the death as part of a recurring pattern of deaths of Mexican nationals in custody or during immigration operations in the United States.
The Texas Tribune reported that Andrade-Covarrubias was found unconscious around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, during a security inspection, and that he is the seventh person to die in ICE custody in Texas in 2026 and the second at a Laredo facility this year. US Congressman Henry Cuellar confirmed the death to the outlet and said he would review the facility's intake and medical care processes. Estefani Andrade, the deceased man's daughter, told the newspaper that the family learned of the death from the county medical examiner and that her father had a heart condition, diabetes and hypertension; she added that staff did not administer the medications he had with him. The SRE expressed its "deep concern at the recurrence of deaths of Mexican nationals in custody or in the context of immigration operations in the United States" and said consular access is meant to guarantee health care for Mexican nationals.
The autopsy is in the hands of the Webb County medical examiner, and the complaint to the local prosecutor's office will determine the case's next institutional step. The US authorities' response to the request for consular access and the outcome of the investigation will set the tone for the bilateral migration agenda in the coming weeks.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.