Home NewsCrime American dies in Immigration custody in Merida

American dies in Immigration custody in Merida

by Yucatan Times
11 comments

Van Jeffrey Endacott, 56, had been arrested for disturbing the peace and turned over to immigration authorities for deportation….

MERIDA — Van Jeffrey Endacott, a U.S. citizen from Arkansas, had entered Mexico as a tourist, but his permit had already expired, and the National Institute of Migration (INM) was in the process of deporting him when he died on Saturday Sept. 23.

INM staff at the agency’s facilities on Calle 35 near Avenida Reforma in Colonia Garcia Ginerés found Endacott’s body in a dormitory, and according to at least one local media report, there was a pool of blood near the body.

However, the official coroner’s report found that Endacott died of natural causes.

Van Jeffrey Endacott. (PHOTO: Facebook)

Endacott had been arrested Wednesday Sept. 20 by the Municipal Police for disturbing the public peace in the center of the Yucatecan capital, but failing to prove his legal stay in the country, he was turned over to the INM delegation to resolve that situation.

About eight o’clock in the morning, INM staff went to take him breakfast, while the preparations were made for his deportation, but found him lying on a bunk and with a pool of blood around him.

The employees began to call him to wake him up and when they approached they realized that he had no vital signs, so
they requested the intervention of the Attorney General’s Office.

In the medical examinations that were performed on him at the moment of being admitted to the migratory station, the doctors reported that he had cirrhosis at an advanced stage, presumably because he was an alcoholic.

The American entered Mexico as a tourist, but the permit had already expired and the INM was in the process of
deporting him this Saturday.

Coroner’s vehicle arrived at INM to remove the body of Van Jeffrey Endacott. (PHOTO: Por Esto)



Ministry of Public Prosecutions and Expert Services of the Attorney General’s Office arrived at the immigration station to carry out the corpse for legal proceedings.

According to several local media reports, at least one security guard at the INM facilities aggressively threatened physical violence to dissaude photographers and reporters who were trying to cover the incident.

Sources: sipse.com; yucatanalamano.com, De Peso

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11 comments

Caroline Robertson September 25, 2017 - 2:50 pm

I have been to the Yucatan 57 times on vacations from Toronto , Canada. It makes me so sad that I will never see Mexico again with the increased crime and corruption.Just so I understand,
when a someone is in a country, when they no longer have proper immigration authority to be there, they should be immediately deported. Is that now Mexico’s position ? Happy to be a compassionate Canadian and not a hypocrite.

Reply
A Shoeman September 25, 2017 - 10:58 pm

You have no reason to avoid another trip to Merida based on this story. If you have been herre 57 times, as you say, surely you should know that. There are many foreigners who come here without a real reason, and continue to be lost here as they were wherever they came from. The biggest threat to Merida is rampant uncontrolled development, which may very well destroy the city and cripple the state. This is a sad story, but not a reason to stop visiting a place you obviously enjoyed (57 times?)

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Nadime September 26, 2017 - 7:50 am

Glad to hear that a “compassionate” Canadian like you isn’t coming back….. and happy to see INM is doing their job.

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Julio Palma September 25, 2017 - 4:13 pm

Mexico has the right to enforce it’s immigrationlaws the same way United States does. Thousands are deported a year. Continue be compassionate but you are the hypocrite.

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Bejar Alicia September 25, 2017 - 5:57 pm

So sad, May he rest in peace…Alcohol is evil…I have seen many tourist in Merida. Drinking a lot. Maybe that is one of the reasons they choose to leave their country.

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Kay Hebert September 26, 2017 - 3:00 pm

Van was a friend of mine for many years and I knew he was an alcoholic but I would like to know how they knew he had cirrhosis without an MRI ?

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David Gideon September 27, 2017 - 6:14 pm

You can obviously tell if someone has cirrhosis by just looking at them because it attacks their skin. Maybe he didn’t have his medication that he used to keep it from getting worse. Sometimes you see people with white stuff on their elbows and other places. That’s cirrhosis! Van did suffer from that! If it goes untreated it will cause the skin to crack and bleed.

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Deborah Allen September 26, 2017 - 7:17 pm

Van was a classmate and friend but he was a US America veteran and served his country well and was a true Patriot! May he Rest In Peace! God bless his family??

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BJ October 24, 2017 - 3:57 pm

I’m confused about your statement of his being a US American Veteran. I’ve been away from Arkansas for awhile but I’m certain he did not serve during his younger years 18-30
I can’t say for certain but with the various businesses he started and worked at during that time frame leads me to believe that it’s doubtful that he joined or was a member of any military organization at the age of 31 and leading up to 56 years old.

Now his step son has served our country

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Kay Hebert September 29, 2017 - 4:06 pm

David Gideon you don’t know what you are talking about google cirrosus and psoriasis and you will see the difference. Your welcome

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Lindsay Qualls March 8, 2018 - 3:19 pm

I am Van’s niece. The “white stuff” on his elbows, knees, etc is psoriasis. He had it for years and is a family trait/medical condition.
He was an alcoholic but to clear the record he was not a veteran. His former step son is still is active military. I loved my uncle and miss him dearly. We still do not know “offical” autopsy results and may never truly know.

Reply

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