Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban, passed away last Sunday at the Federal Detention Center in Miami while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Authorities suspect it was a suicide attempt.
ICE's official statement identified him as "an undocumented Cuban immigrant with a criminal record."
According to the report, a detention officer discovered him in his cell at 6:30 am on April 12.
"The officer immediately requested medical emergency assistance, and staff initiated CPR. The City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department arrived at the facility and continued resuscitation efforts. Despite these life-saving measures, Carbonell-Betancourt was pronounced dead at approximately 7:31 am by the Miami Fire-Rescue Department," the report detailed.
ICE delayed its official statement confirming his death until Thursday, five days post-incident.
The agency clarified that "Carbonell-Betancourt died of suspected suicide; however, the official cause of death remains under investigation."
Carbonell-Betancourt entered the United States on October 30, 2024, when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted him and issued a notice to appear as an undocumented immigrant, releasing him on parole.
His circumstances worsened on November 20, 2025, when a Hialeah police officer found him in an abandoned farmer's market at 11:30 pm.
Unable to provide identification, the young man attempted to flee, prompting the officer to pursue and subdue him with a taser.
This incident led to charges of resisting an officer with violence, although the state prosecutor later reduced the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.
ICE located him at the Miami-Dade County Jail on November 22, 2025, transferring him to their custody on February 11, 2026, pending deportation proceedings.
The agency informed the Cuban Embassy in Washington and his close family of his death.
Carbonell-Betancourt is the third Cuban to die under ICE custody during Donald Trump's second term, and the second detainee in Florida reported as a suspected suicide within a month.
The other two Cuban cases include Isidro Pérez, 75, who died on June 26, 2025, at Miami's HCA Kendall Hospital while detained at the Krome Detention Center pending deportation.
The second is Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, who died on January 3 at Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas, in a case classified by autopsy as homicide due to neck and torso compression, currently under FBI investigation.
On the same day ICE announced Carbonell-Betancourt's death, the resignation of the agency's acting director, Todd Lyons, effective May 31, was made public amidst controversy over ICE's aggressive tactics and increased detention deaths.
According to an analysis by The Miami Herald, based on press releases, death certificates, autopsies, and government documents, at least 49 individuals have died in ICE custody since Trump's return to the White House, nine of them from suspected suicide.
A study published in the medical journal JAMA on April 16 revealed that the mortality rate in ICE detention centers reached 88.9 deaths per 100,000 detainees, the highest in 22 years, surpassing the peak recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions About ICE Detention and Cuban Immigrants
What led to Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt's detention by ICE?
Carbonell-Betancourt was taken into ICE custody after being found without identification in an abandoned market, leading to charges of resisting an officer. He was transferred to ICE custody pending deportation.
How many Cuban immigrants have died in ICE custody during Trump's second term?
Three Cuban immigrants have died under ICE custody during Donald Trump's second term.
What is the mortality rate in ICE detention centers?
The mortality rate in ICE detention centers is 88.9 deaths per 100,000 detainees, the highest in 22 years.