Venezuelan Detainee Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, 45, Dies in ICE Custody During Georgia Transfer

Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan national, was found unresponsive around 7:46 a.m. on July 13, 2026 while being bus-transferred from the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, GA to the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center. He was rushed to Irwin County Hospital and pronounced dead at 8:31 a.m.; suspected cause of death is cardiac arrest, pending a medical examiner's report. ICE had arrested him July 9 in Dallas, GA on an outstanding removal warrant — he died just four days into detention. His sister told Detention Watch Network the family "begged ICE not to take him because of his medical needs," and that ICE ignored requests to let him bring all of his prescribed medications, authorizing only one. Detention Watch Network says FY2026 is now the deadliest year in ICE history, with 53 total custody deaths since the administration took office.