Man dies after encountering patrol agents at Canada-U.S. border

Vermont State Police are investigating the death of Jose Leos Cervantes, 45, a Mexican man who irregularly crossed the Canada-U.S. border last week.

His death comes nearly two months after Fritznel Richard, an asylum seeker from Haiti, died after attempting to cross the border. 

The RCMP report their agents have mounted a number of search and rescue operations this winter in the region of people intending to cross into the United States from Canada. Border officials on both sides have been warning about the dangers to both the people trying to cross and those who could be sent to rescue them.

Vermont State Police said Tuesday in a news release that border patrol agents saw three people entering the United States irregularly on Feb. 19 at about 10:30 p.m. on Goodall Road in the town of Holland, Vermont.

They say his death is "not considered suspicious."

An autopsy for Leos Cervantes was conducted on Feb. 21 at the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington. It lists the cause and manner of death as pending further testing, including toxicology. There were no signs of trauma, according to the report.

When border patrol agents intervened, Leos Cervantes reportedly collapsed while two other men ran back toward Canada.

According to border patrol, agents immediately provided first aid, including CPR, to Leos Cervantes and called emergency medical services.

He was then transported to North Country Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Vermont State Police were notified of the incident at 1 a.m. Monday and responded to the hospital to investigate.

No further information is available while the investigation is ongoing.