Mexican man, 38, dies in CBP custody in Otay Mesa after Border Patrol apprehension

A 38-year-old Mexican man died Wednesday while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, authorities said.

Officials claim the man died from an unknown medical issue and was not subjected to any kind of force, according to San Diego police homicide Lt. Jud Campbell.

Shortly before the man died, a Border Patrol agent apprehended him on suspicion of unlawfully entering the U.S., Campbell said in a news release. The agent suspected the man of climbing a border barrier west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

The San Diego police homicide unit is investigating the incident as it does for all in-custody deaths in the city. According to Campbell, the Border Patrol agent detained the man “without incident or force” and took him to a cargo area at the port of entry.

Shortly after arriving there, the man “went into medical distress,” Campbell said. Border Patrol agents and a Customs and Border Protection paramedic attempted to treat the man until San Diego firefighters arrived and took over.

The man, whose name was not released, died around 3:20 p.m. in the cargo area. Campbell said it was undetermined as of Wednesday what caused the medical issue.

The Border Patrol agent who detained the man has worked for the agency for 18 years, Campbell said. His name was not released.

Campbell said that after homicide detectives complete their investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California will review the case.

No other details about the incident were available Thursday.