A homicide investigation is underway into the death of an inmate found unresponsive in his cell at Salinas Valley State Prison in Monterey County, officials announced Tuesday.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers were conducting security rounds when they made the discovery at 10:45 a.m. Monday, the CDCR stated in a news release.

Officers approached the cell occupied by Colin Hebert, 36, and Jessie Hernandez, 38, and called for medical assistance after observing Hebert was unresponsive.

“Life-saving measures were initiated and he was pronounced deceased at 10:58 a.m. by an institution doctor,” the CDCR stated.

Hernandez was placed on restricted housing pending the investigation.

“Officers recovered one inmate-manufactured weapon at the scene,” the release stated.

Hebert entered the prison from Riverside County on June 11, 2013, to serve life without the possibility of parole for attempted first-degree murder with an enhancement for intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury/death and assault with a firearm with enhancements inflicting great bodily injury and use of a firearm.

He also received an eight-year sentence while incarcerated for assault with a deadly weapon as a second-striker, according to the CDCR.

Hernandez entered the prison from Los Angeles County on July 22, 2004, to serve life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder with an enhancement for use of a firearm and attempted second-degree murder with an enhancement for use of a firearm.

He also received a 12-year sentence while incarcerated for assault by a prison with a deadly weapon as a second striker.

Salinas Valley State Prison opened in 1996 and houses more than 2,500 minimum-, medium-, maximum- and high-security inmates.

Homeland Security agents in Texas successfully apprehended two Venezuelan nationals who were members of the bloodthirsty gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), which has established operations throughout the U.S.

In a release Friday, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio announced that special agents arrested the two Venezuelan nationals in San Antonio during an enforcement operation targeting the violent gang on Sept. 19.

The agency said that they received information that these individuals were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to illegally transport firearms.

Following their apprehension, both individuals were transferred into ICE custody based on their immigration violations, HSI said. The San Antonio Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) were also involved in the arrests.

TEXAS OFFERS REWARD FOR INFO ON TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS THAT SPREAD ‘TERROR AND CARNAGE,’ GOV ABBOTT SAYS

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These images from a CBP intelligence bulletin, show tattoos and identifiers for Tren De Aragua (TdA). Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected TdA members.  (ICE)

The TdA is a violent street gang believed to have originated in Venezuelan prisons and moved north over the last decade. 

SUSPECTED TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS IN AURORA, COLORADO, RELEASED ON $1,000 BOND

However, its reputation within the U.S. has grown this year, in part, due to a number of high-profile crimes linked to the gang, with many believed to have arrived by coming across the southern border as part of the sharp increase in migration in recent years.

The suspected Tren de Aragua gang members engaged in illegal activity including illegal dumping and drug use, according to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office in Texas. (KFOX14 / El Paso County Attorney’s Office)

The gang made headlines recently in Aurora, Colorado, where there have been a number of arrests and reports that the gang has taken over entire apartment buildings — something local authorities have pushed back against. 

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TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN AURORA, COLORADO IN CONNECTION TO APARTMENT BUILDING TAKEOVER: POLICE

The apprehension of the two gang members in San Antonio came after Gov. Greg Abbot declared the gang a “foreign terrorist organization” last week while announcing that the state was taking a more aggressive approach to targeting its members. 

“Tren de Aragua has spread terror and carnage in every country they’ve been in, and Texas will not allow them to gain a foothold in our state,” Abbott said in a statement. “Texas will not let these thugs use our state as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott makes an announcement on the future of the space industry in the state. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

Abbott has directed DPS to elevate the gang to a Tier 1 gang and to create a TdA Strike Team that will identify and arrest its members. 

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Tipsters can provide information to authorities via the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website by calling 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.

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More than 100 people who knew Jessica Tinoco packed the pier in Port Hueneme, one of her favorite hangouts, on Monday night to pay respects to the 34-year-old mother of five.

Tinoco tragically lost her life on Friday evening when her live-in boyfriend, 34-year-old Raymond Rivas of Simi Valley, allegedly stabbed her in front of her children, according to police.

“I try to put myself in their shoes and it’s just horrible, horrible to know they were there and had to witness their own mother go like that,” Nicole De La Cerda, Tinoco’s sister, told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo at the Monday vigil.

The Simi Valley Police Department said it was Tinoco’s daughter who made the call at 6:04 p.m. to report her mother was being stabbed.

When first responders arrived, they rushed Tinoco to the hospital with stab wounds to her face, chest and abdomen, but she did not survive.

“She just had a pure soul,” said family friend Rayleen Morales. “I feel like that was her biggest flaw ‘cuz she just wanted to help and I feel like she felt she could help this guy, and that was her flaw.”

Officers arrested Rivas at the residence without incident and booked him on suspicion of murder, according to police.

Tinoco’s family says she had been dating Rivas for about nine months, but there were no obvious signs of trouble.

“It’s horrible that’s why it needs to be spoken of,” said De La Cerda. “Things like this happen.”

Loved ones hope to spread awareness of domestic violence and prevent other families from experiencing such a tragedy.

“That’s another thing we want to put out there if you know someone or have an idea going it needs to be spoken of,” Tinoco’s sister continued. “Remind them that they’re loved.”

Tinoco’s friends and family wore purple to show solidarity on Monday night, in remembrance of their lost one.

“She just loved the kids, always wanted to be with the kids,” said Morales. “She was a wonderful mother, that was her pride, joy, her passion was to be a mom to all five kids.”

For anyone wishing to help, a GoFundMe was created to help raise funds for Tinoco’s five children and family: www.gofundme.com/f/join-us-in-supporting-jessicas-family.