A deadly clash at a federal penitentiary in Texas prompted the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to temporarily lock down all its facilities Monday, prison officials said.
The bureau was “securing our facilities as a temporary measure to ensure the good order of our institutions,” spokesman Emery Nelson said in an email, adding that the measure was expected to be “short-lived.”
“For safety and security reasons, the BOP does not elaborate on specific security procedures,” Nelson said.
Multiple inmates were involved in an altercation at U.S. Penitentiary Beaumont in Texas about 11:30 a.m. Monday. Four were hospitalized, and two died after being transported for medical attention, the prison bureau said.
They were identified as Guillermo Riojas, 54, and Andrew Pineda, 34.
Riojas was sentenced in California for carjacking and interference with interstate commerce, the bureau said. He was serving a 38-year sentence and had been at Beaumont since 2013.
Pineda was also sentenced in California for corruption under the RICO statute. He was serving a six-year sentence and had been at the facility for just under a year, the bureau said.
“The BOP will continue to monitor events carefully and will adjust its operations accordingly as the situation evolves,” Nelson said.
Beaumont is a high-security facility that houses 1,372 inmates.
Cristian Santana contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
