Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban man, died in the custody of Immigration and Customs (ICE).
ICE said in a press release on Thursday that Carbonell-Betancourt was found in his cell in “what appeared to be a suicide attempt,” but the exact cause of death is under investigation.
Carbonell-Betancourt was in custody in Florida, and his death is the second presumed suicide in the state in less than a month and comes amid reports that there has been an increase in deaths in ICE custody through the second Trump administration.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment outside of regular working hours via email.
The Context
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, a record number of people have died in ICE detention, the agency’s acting director said on April 16.
Todd Lyons, who currently leads ICE but has announced his intent to resign, told federal lawmakers in a Capitol Hill hearing on April 16 that at least 44 people have died in custody since March of 2025, when he began his acting tenure. A recent report from USA Today states that 48 people have died in ICE custody.
The Guardian previously reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for ICE in more than two decades amid the Trump administration’s push to detain a record number of people, and said in January that thirty-two people had died in custody that year.
ICE officials, including Lyons, have attributed the rise in fatalities to there being more people in detention.
Lyons told Representative Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat, that the number is the highest “because we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003.” However, Underwood did question the rationale of more detainees equating to more deaths.
What To Know
The government press release states that Carbonell-Betancourt had entered custody on February 11 after being charged with resisting an officer.
The Miami Herald reported that prosecutors dropped the charges against him. In November 2025, a police officer observed Carbonell-Betancourt at an abandoned farmers’ market and warned him about trespassing. When asked for identification, he ran and was pursued by the officer, who used a taser.
He was taken to the hospital and charged with resisting an officer: a felony under Florida state law. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanour for resisting an officer without violence, a charge state attorneys declined to pursue, per the Herald.
The ICE press release states that attempts were made to save Carbonell-Betancourt’s life, but he was ultimately pronounced dead.
Carbonell-Betancourt’s death comes after father of four, Geraldo Lunas Campos, died at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, in January. DHS said that he had attempted to take his own life and that agents had quickly worked to administer emergency medical care. His death was later ruled a homicide and an investigation is ongoing.
What Happens Next
The official cause of death remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org
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