Mamuka Artmeladze, a 43-year-old Georgian national, died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Louisiana on 4 June, the agency said in a statement released on 7 June.
According to ICE, staff at Winn Correctional Center found Artmeladze unresponsive at 10:37 p.m. local time. Personnel called a medical emergency and began lifesaving measures before he was taken by ambulance to Winn Parish Medical Center. Resuscitation continued on site, but a doctor pronounced him dead at approximately 11:22 p.m. His official cause of death is pending autopsy.
Background and custody timeline
ICE said Artmeladze entered the United States without inspection at an unknown date. On 25 September 2022, U.S. Border Patrol encountered him and released him on parole with instructions to report to ICE within 60 days, according to the agency.
On 5 February 2026, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in New Orleans detained Artmeladze near Fackler, Alabama, during an operation targeting commercial vehicle drivers described as public-safety risks. Officials said he was taken into custody after they determined he had no lawful status to remain in the United States.
ABC News reported that Artmeladze was the 50th person to die in ICE detention during the second Trump administration. Georgia Times has not independently verified that count; it reflects reporting by ABC and advocacy groups tracking detention deaths.
Notifications and procedures
ICE said it notified the Department of Homeland Security, the DHS Office of Inspector General and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, in line with standard death-in-custody procedures. The agency said the Georgian Consulate was informed, along with Artmeladze’s next of kin or other designated contacts.
For Georgian families with relatives in U.S. immigration proceedings, the case underscores that detention health incidents are investigated through U.S. federal channels. Further details are expected when autopsy results and any inspector-general review are published.
