A Costa Rican man's tragic story has left his family and the public seeking answers and justice. Randall Gamboa Esquivel, a 52-year-old man, was deported from the United States to Costa Rica in a vegetative state and passed away shortly after his arrival. The family is desperate for answers, especially regarding his condition while in US custody.
Gamboa left Costa Rica in good health and crossed the US-Mexico border in December 2024. He was detained by US authorities for re-entering the country illegally, as he had previously lived in the US without documentation. Gamboa was held at the Webb County detention center in Laredo and then transferred to the Port Isabel detention center in Los Fresnos, both in South Texas. After nearly 10 months, the Trump administration flew him to San José, Costa Rica, in September 2025.
His younger sister, Greidy Mata, is devastated and seeks to understand how her brother's health deteriorated so severely while in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Gamboa's last conversation with his family was on June 12, 2025, and he seemed healthy during their video calls. However, he suddenly fell into a health crisis, leaving his family desperate for answers.
Medical records reveal a transfer request from the Port Isabel detention facility to the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas, on June 23, 2025. Gamboa was hospitalized with an altered mental status and was taking antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Relatives and friends denied any history of mental illness before his migration.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stated that medical professionals diagnosed Gamboa with unspecified psychosis and hospitalized him at Valley Baptist Hospital for proper mental health care. However, the family found out about his condition from a lawyer, who described him as in a vegetative state upon arrival in Costa Rica.
By July 7, 2025, Gamboa had been diagnosed with at least 10 conditions, including sepsis and rhabdomyolysis. The family is still grieving and questions why they were not informed about his deteriorating health. The Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the migration agency have not provided sufficient information, leaving the family and public in the dark.
