Deported Veteran Alfredo Varón Guzmán Passed Away Struggling To Get VA Benefits

Varón Guzmán just before he died received a humanitarian Visa to return to the U.S. and get medical treatment for a terminal illness, but as usual for the VA, it was to late for the deported Veteran.

By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 19, 2015

Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico - On Saturday, the Deported Veteran Support House (DVSH) in Tijuana reported that Alfredo Varón Guzmán, a deported former U.S. Army Veteran had passed away shortly after receiving a humanitarian Visa to return to the U.S. for medical treatment of a terminal illness that claimed his life. Varón Guzmán, originally from Baranquilla, Colombia was deported in 2000 after a 1988 check forgery conviction, which he plead guilty. Ten years later in New York, the case came up again to haunt him after a security check of his business to continue with a government contract. When he went to resolved his immigration status, he learned that his 1988 forgery check conviction qualified him for deportation and he challenged the immigration case that took five years to fight. He missed an immigration court date when he was hospitalized for hermatora. An immigration judge ordered Varón Guzmán deported to Colombia.

Varón Guzmán was one of the numerous Veterans that have been deported by the U.S. and their medical benefits denied by the Veterans Affairs (VA). 

Only upon death, a deported Veteran can return to the U.S. and can be buried at the National Cemetery with full honors.

Varón Guzmán's family say that he died peacefully in the U.S., a wish that Varón Guzmán had always wanted to do.

Hector Barajas, the Director and Founder of the DVSH reported that he was sent papers to apply for a medical exam leading to earned medical benefits and service connected pension from the VA and had been instructed to go to a local U.S. Consulate in Tijuana to submit them. When Barajas, a deported Veteran himself went to the U.S. Consulate on July 15, security wouldn't admit him or have him talk to any Consulate personnel to take his VA documents. Apparently, the VA had notified Barajas that they would contact the U.S Consulate in Tijuana so, they could process his VA medical exam documents, which he has 60 days to submit. But it seems that negligence or a lack of communication between the VA and the U.S. Consulate in Mexico has delayed any possible medical benefits to Barajas.

Varón Guzmán is one of five deported U.S. Veterans that have recently passed away who were denied their earned VA medical benefits for years.

The following deceased deported Veterans have suffered the fatal consequences from the Obama and VA administrations gross negligence in denying them medical treatment and benefits as afforded by the U.S. Congress.

On June 18, 2015, José Solorio, a former Marine Veteran who served between 1979 to 1986 in the military and then deported in 2001 after serving 10-year in a federal prison for a drug conviction passed away from Pulmonary Fibrosis. Solorio was honorably discharged from the military and had earned Veteran Administration (VA) medical benefits, but those benefits were denied simply because he was deported and only if he would return and apply in person for those benefits would be restored.
For years Solorio attempted to apply for those benefits and was unsuccessful until he joined the DVSH in Rosarito. He received a humanitarian Visa to return to the U.S., but his condition deteriorated and died.

On April 14, 2015, former Army Veteran Juan José Montemayor passed away after a long illness without VA medical benefits and was cremated on May 17. His ashes were returned to Wisconsin in the U.S. Only upon death, a deported Veteran can return with full military honors and a head marker and burial plot is provided at a military cemetery.

On March 10, 2015, Gonzalo Chaidez, 64, a deported U.S. Army Veteran passed away in Tijuana. Chaidez suffered from Tuberculosis and as a deported U.S. Veteran, he was not allowed to use his earned benefits or seek treatment at any VA hospital. Under deportation, all Veterans are illegally stripped from their earned benefits under the last three presidential administrations, including President Obama's administration.

In April 21, 2014, Hector Barrios, 70, a deported U.S. Army Sergeant Veteran died in Tijuana from a heart stroke and was a house resident at the DVSH too. Barrios attempted to collect earned VA benefits for years, but was unsuccessful and died in poverty because he couldn't return to the U.S. to apply for medical care.

Deported Veterans speak out, some in this video have already passed away in Mexico https://youtu.be/xGK48Ky6hHw