Federal prisons on lockdown nationwide after two inmates in Texas killed

The federal prison system has been placed under lockdown after two inmates were killed and two others were injured at a facility in Texas on Monday.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Associated Press reported that the incident took place at USP Beaumont, a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

The altercation reportedly involved members of the MS-13 street gang.

According to the AP, the lockdown is being instituted at all 120 federal prisons in the U.S. as of late Monday evening due to fears of possible retaliation and the spread of violence.

While under lockdown, inmates in these prisons will be kept in their cells for most of the day and visitations will be canceled, although the AP noted that visits had been canceled already due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement provided to Axios, the Bureau of Prisons said the lockdown was issued “to ensure the good order of our institutions. We anticipate this security measure will be short-lived.”

The Hill has reached out to the Bureau of Prisons for further comment.

The two inmates who were killed have been identified as Guillermo Riojas, 54, and Andrew Pineda, 34, the AP reported. The two inmates who were injured have been transported to a local hospital.

Riojas was serving a 38-year prison sentence for carjacking and interfering with interstate commerce while Pineda was serving a six-year sentence for a racketeering charge.

The AP noted that the lockdown comes amid a host of issues facing the bureau, including staffing shortages, escapes and employee misconduct.

The agency’s director, Michael Carvajal, resigned from his position recently after the AP conducted reporting on widespread corruption within the system.