(CNN) A 32-year-old US citizen arrested by Border Patrol agents died in custody in Texas on Tuesday, according to a Customs and Border Protection statement.

The man was identified as James Paul Markowitz, according to a statement released late Wednesday.

The statement says Markowitz was arrested around 3 p.m. Tuesday as a suspect in an "alien smuggling incident" and taken to the Brackettville, Texas, station to be processed. He "began exhibiting signs of distress," and EMT-certified agents gave him first aid and called local Emergency Medical Services as his condition deteriorated, the statement said.

EMS arrived 40 minutes later and took Markowitz to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:37 p.m. local time.

The agency, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has previously faced scrutiny over its handling of people in custody, particularly following the deaths of children in custody.

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