CBP: Father of Guatemalan girl who died in custody did not report medical issues

Customs and Border Protection officials told ABC-7 the 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in their custody in early December stopped breathing on the hour-and-a-half drive to a Border Patrol station, while in their custody. According to CBP officials, the girl’s father said there were no medical issues of note on his intake form when he was arrested.

According to the Associated Press, Guatemala’s foreign ministry identified the girl as Jackeline Caal and her father as 29-year-old Nery Caal. Caal was with his daughter at an El Paso hospital when the girl died, the AP reports. He is not detained.

CBP officials described the series of events in a conference call Friday, where they said the girl was part of a 163 person group apprehended at the Antelope Wells port of entry in southern New Mexico when they turned themselves in. Officials said the group was transported in several trips from the border crossing, which was not staffed in the middle of the night, to the Lordsburg station which they said was a drive longer than an hour.

“Last week, on December 6, 2018, a child traveling with her father illegally entered the United States near Antelope Wells, New Mexico. After completing a days-long, dangerous journey through remote and barren terrain, the child, who according to the father had not been able to consume water or food for days, began vomiting, went into sepsis shock and after receiving emergency treatment from U.S. Border Patrol Emergency Response Technicians (EMTs), air paramedics and emergency room personnel, died,” Customs and Border Protection wrote in a statement Friday.

Officials described agency standards had unaccompanied minors transported first, but the girl traveling with her father was not part of that group.

“Given the remote location and size of the group they were moved to a covered area within the Bounds FOB (adjacent to the POE). Upon apprehension, the Border Patrol agents conducted an initial screening, which consists of an interview and observation of the detainee to identify any health or safety problems to ensure that they receive necessary medical care,” CBP wrote.

“The initial screening revealed no evidence of health issues. During the screening, the father denied that either he or his daughter were ill. This denial was recorded on Form I-779 signed by the father. At this time, they were offered water and food and had access to restrooms.”

The CBP statement reads it took nearly eight hours, from 9:15 p.m. on December 6 to around 5:00 a.m. on December 7, for the bus to pick up the second group of detainees, including the Guatemalan girl, given the long round trip.

CBP officials briefing reporters said the girl’s father told officials that she was sick and vomiting when they were on a bus heading to a Border Patrol station. When they arrived 90 minutes later, the girl wasn’t breathing.

CBP representatives said there were no medical professionals at the Antelope Wells port of entry nor the Lordsburg station. Border Patrol agents tried to revive the girl on the drive to the station, and the girl was airlifted to an El Paso hospital once they reached Lordsburg,

Her father was taken in a federal vehicle to El Paso.

“Border Patrol EMTs began medical care and requested an ambulance. At this point her temperature was 105.9 degrees. Agents providing medical care revived the child twice. An ambulance arrived at 0640. A decision was made to transport her by helicopter to a hospital (Lordsburg is more than four hours the El Paso Hospital by vehicle),” wrote CBP in their Friday statement.

“A helicopter arrived at 0730 and departed at 0748. She arrived at Providence Children’s Hospital in El Paso, Texas at 0851. Border Patrol agents transported the father by vehicle to the hospital. The child received emergency room care and was transferred to the Pediatric ICU for additional care. Unfortunately, she passed away at 0035 on December 8, 2018. The initial indication from the Providence Hospital is that she passed due to sepsis shock.”

CBP wrote the father was with the girl when she died and the Guatemalan consulate was informed.

The death comes in the middle of what Border Patrol agents describe as a surge in migrants, with asylum seekers waiting for days in shelters south of the border for their chance to petition at a port of entry.

One Border Patrol agent in the El Paso sector has said asylum seekers have camped out next to the border fence near the Zaragoza bridge, asking to be arrested to ask for asylum, but agents have been instructed to not arrest anyone who doesn’t try to jump the fence, even if they are on US soil given the lack of detention space and low staffing to process the claims.

Customs and Border Protection said the agency is currently reviewing its disclosure and notification policy on deaths.

Officials said the autopsy results could take weeks to return.