Venezuelan Dies While in ICE Custody in the U.S.

Jesús Manuel Arenas Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan national, passed away on July 13 while under the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was being transported by bus between two detention centers in Georgia, as reported by the federal agency through EFE.

This tragic incident brings the total number of migrant deaths under ICE custody in 2026 to 22, according to data from the National Immigration Project.

Discovery During the Transfer

Custodial staff found Arenas Silva unconscious at approximately 7:46 a.m. during the bus route from the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla to the D. Ray James Processing Center in Folkston.

Paramedics transported him to Irwin County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, at 8:31 a.m.

ICE indicated in their statement that a heart attack is suspected as the cause of death, though they clarified that the official cause is pending further medical examination.

The agency delayed public announcement of the death until July 15, two days after the incident, through Detainee Death Notifications.

Family's Plea: Denied Medication While in Custody

For the family of Arenas Silva, the story starts not with the alleged heart attack, but with events leading up to his detention.

His sister, Sonimar Arenas Silva—the only family member he had in the United States—shared with Detention Watch Network, as reported by Univision, that the family attempted to prevent his transfer from the start due to his medical condition.

"We pleaded with ICE not to take him due to his medical needs, but they ignored our pleas. They also disregarded our request to allow him to take his medications, permitting only one drug," Sonimar stated.

The same organization reported that Arenas Silva confirmed to his sister, once in custody, that agents did not provide him with the necessary medications.

The family believes his death may have resulted from potential medical negligence. ICE insists that Arenas Silva received medical care and was assessed by health personnel before the fatal transfer.

Venezuelan's Migration History

Arenas Silva entered the United States irregularly around October 11, 2021, near Calexico, California, after being declared inadmissible at the San Luis, Arizona port of entry.

On April 27, 2026, an immigration judge in Atlanta ordered his deportation to Venezuela.

He was arrested on July 9, 2026, during an immigration operation in Dallas, Georgia, due to an active deportation order. Four days later, he was dead.

A Deadly Week for Migrants

Arenas Silva's case occurred amid a week marked by multiple migrant deaths linked to ICE operations.

On July 7, Mexican Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father of three, was shot dead by an ICE agent in Houston, Texas.

On the same day of Arenas Silva's death, Colombian Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, 26, and father to a three-year-old, was shot by an ICE agent in Biddeford, Maine, while heading to work. The following day, a 28-year-old Mexican died after being struck by a car in Florida while fleeing an immigration operation.

Migrant Deaths Reach Historic Levels

In 2025, 33 migrants died under ICE custody, the highest number in two decades. In 2026, with just seven months elapsed, 22 deaths have already been recorded.

In June 2026, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights released the report "Dying in Detention," documenting 52 deaths in the first 500 days of Donald Trump's second term.

The report highlights that the mortality rate in ICE facilities has more than doubled, reaching 88.9 deaths per 100,000 detainees, the highest level in 22 years, surpassing the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Sonimar Arenas Silva navigates funeral arrangements and awaits autopsy results, the family's allegations regarding denied medications remain unaddressed by officials.