ICE detains Army sergeant's wife; family alleges abuse and near-deportation

Published Aug 25, 04:20 PM UTC

On July 11, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Cristy Maryori Villafranca Trejo, the wife of Army Sgt. Hedar Leonel Turcios Juárez, as the family drove home from Walmart near Fort Bliss, Texas. The couple's six-year-old daughter witnessed the arrest. Villafranca Trejo, a Honduran national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2016, was held at Camp East Montana, an immigration detention center on Fort Bliss grounds. A Human Rights Watch report documented abuses at the facility, including excessive force and medical neglect. Turcios reported his wife suffered an infection and lacked clean clothing. On August 17, authorities attempted to deport her but returned her to detention after a legal impediment was identified. The family, including Villafranca Trejo's son and the couple's daughter, had been preparing for a military move to Oklahoma. Turcios says ICE has provided no updates on her case, leaving the family in limbo.