Mexican national in ICE custody passes away

ATLANTA — Abelardo Avelleneda-Delgado, a 68-year-old citizen of Mexico in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was pronounced deceased by medical professionals at the Webster County Coroner May 5 at 1:25 p.m. ET. His cause of death is still under investigation.

At approximately 12:35 p.m. ET, during transport from Lowndes County Jail to Stewart Detention Center, Avelleneda became unresponsive and TransCor contract security personnel called 911 emergency medical services for an evaluation.

On an unknown date and at an unknown place, Avelleneda entered the United States without admission or parole. Since 1979, he had been arrested multiple times by various law enforcement agencies. On Dec. 19, 1990, an immigration judge in Florence, Arizona, ordered Avelleneda removed to Mexico; he subsequently waived appeal. On the same date, the Immigration and Naturalization Service deported Avelleneda to Mexico. He reentered the country a second time on an unknown date and at an unknown place.

In his most recent encounter, which was April 9, 2025, the Echols County Sheriff’s Office in Statenville, Georgia, arrested Avelleneda for a probation violation on local charges.

On April 10, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Atlanta encountered him at the Lowndes County Jail in Valdosta and lodged an immigration detainer with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

Consistent with ICE policy, ERO Atlanta notified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility via the Integrity Coordination Center. ERO Atlanta provided telephone notification of Avelleneda’s death to the Consulate of Mexico in Atlanta.

ICE makes official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media upon an official report of a detained illegal alien’s death, and posts a news release with relevant details on the ICE public website within two business days per agency policy. This information may be accessed in the ICE.gov newsroom. Additionally, congressional requirements described in the DHS Appropriations Bill of 2018 require ICE to make public all reports regarding an in-custody death within 90 days. These reports may be accessed on the Detainee Death Reporting page.

ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care.