ICE detains Army sergeant's wife; family awaits answers after near-deportation

Published Aug 26, 04:26 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. Human Rights Watch and the ACLU reported abusive conditions at the facility, including excessive force and medical neglect. On August 17, authorities attempted to deport her but halted the flight after verifying her husband's military status and pending appeal. The family has received no updates on her case, and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the removal was stopped due to a legal impediment.