OSINT Report: Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado - Death in ICE Transport¶
Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado - Death during transport to ICE facility
Type: detention-death
Confidence: HIGH
PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: CORECIVIC / TRANSCOR
Transport operated by TransCor America — a wholly-owned subsidiary of CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America). TransCor operates prisoner transport services linked to multiple detainee deaths. See Infrastructure for full contractor profiles.
Executive Summary¶
On May 5, 2025, Abelardo "Lalo" Avellaneda-Delgado, a 68-year-old Mexican grandfather from Statenville, Georgia, died during transport from Lowndes County Jail to Stewart Detention Center. He was found dead in a TransCor (CoreCivic) transport van, described by EMS as "cold and stiff." Forensic evidence contradicts official timeline claiming he was alive at 12:38 PM - medical experts say his body temperature indicates he died 30-45 minutes before EMS arrival. Family reports he was healthy at arrest but dramatically deteriorated in jail. Blood pressure of 226/57 (hypertensive crisis) documented before transport, yet he was cleared to travel. Congressional inquiry initiated. Cause of death unreleased; coroner suspects aortic aneurysm.
1. VICTIM PROFILE¶
Abelardo "Lalo" Avellaneda-Delgado¶
Personal Information:
- Age: 68 years old
- Nationality: Mexico
- Residence: Statenville, Georgia
- Family: Three adult children (Junior, Nayely, Sammy), grandchildren
- Community Role: Active, well-known local resident
Lifestyle & Health:
- Daily routine: Early morning walks to gas station for coffee
- Social: Greeted neighbors regularly, engaged in community
- Health status: Family reports he was healthy, active, no known pre-existing conditions
- Description: Hardworking, family-oriented, always present at events
2. ARREST & DETENTION¶
April 9, 2025 - Arrest:
- Arresting Agency: Echols County Sheriff's Office
- Charge: Alleged probation violation
- Health at Arrest: Family confirms he was healthy and active
- Initial Detention: Transferred to Lowndes County Jail, Georgia
April 9 - May 4, 2025:
- Held at Lowndes County Jail for 26 days
- Family visits during this period showed no concerning changes (initially)
3. MEDICAL DETERIORATION TIMELINE¶
May 4, 2025 - Critical Visit:
- Visitor: Son "Junior" Avellaneda-Delgado
- Observations:
- Father unable to stand
- Unable to speak
- Could not make eye contact
- Dramatic deterioration from previous visits
- Junior's statement: "I'd never seen my dad like that"
- Action: Junior called sister Nayely, crying about father's condition
May 4, Evening:
- Nayely learns of brother's concerns
- Plans to visit jail next morning
May 5, 2025 - Morning:
- ~9:00 AM: Nayely arrives at Lowndes County Jail
- Demands: Medical information about father's condition
- Response: Jail staff refuse to provide details, citing privacy laws
- Critical medical data: Blood pressure reading of 226/57 documented
- Systolic 226 = Hypertensive crisis (stroke-level danger)
- Diastolic 57 = Unusually low (dangerous pressure differential)
- Webster County Coroner Steven Hubbard's assessment: "If that's the case, he should have never ever got his ass on that van"
May 5, 2025 - Transport Cleared:
- Despite dangerous vital signs, Avellaneda-Delgado cleared for transport
- Lowndes County Jail Captain Jason Clifton's claim: Left jail "stable and in as good a condition"
- Loaded onto TransCor transport van bound for Stewart Detention Center
4. TRANSPORT & DEATH¶
May 5, 2025 - Transport Timeline:
12:35 PM (Official ICE account):
- Avellaneda-Delgado becomes "unresponsive" during transport
- TransCor contract security personnel call 911
12:38 PM (911 call recording):
- TransCor Captain Jamaya West tells dispatchers:
- Detainee is "unresponsive"
- Claims detainee is "still breathing"
- Location: Transport van, Webster County, Georgia
12:49 PM - EMS Arrival (14 minutes after 911 call):
- First responders climb into white TransCor transport van
- Finding: Avellaneda-Delgado "sitting upright against a wall"
- Condition: "Pink, cold, and dry" with dilated pupils
- Note: Upright position = no CPR attempted despite claims of breathing
Second EMS Unit Assessment:
- Vitals: Absent
- Body condition: "Stiff"
- Rigor mortis: Beginning to set in
- Temperature: "Cold to the touch"
1:25 PM - Pronounced Dead:
- Location: Still in transport van
- Pronouncing authority: Webster County Coroner Steven Hubbard
- Coroner's observation: "He was cold to the touch, so he had been dead"
5. FORENSIC EVIDENCE & TIMELINE CONTRADICTIONS¶
Expert Analysis¶
Dr. Kris Sperry (Forensic Pathologist):
- Finding: Bodies require 30-45 minutes to become "cool to the touch" after death
- Implication: If Avellaneda-Delgado was cold at 12:49 PM, death occurred no later than 12:04-12:19 PM
- Contradiction: TransCor claims he was alive and breathing at 12:38 PM
Webster County Coroner Steven Hubbard:
- "He was cold to the touch, so he had been dead"
- Assessment contradicts TransCor's claim of breathing at 12:38 PM
- Suggests death occurred well before 911 call
Physical Evidence Problems¶
1. Body Temperature:
- Cold to touch at 12:49 PM
- Science: 30-45 minutes to cool post-mortem
- Actual death time: ~12:00-12:20 PM (estimated)
2. Body Position:
- Found sitting upright against wall
- No evidence of CPR attempt
- Contradicts "still breathing" claim at 12:38 PM
- If breathing, why no resuscitation efforts?
3. Rigor Mortis:
- Body described as "stiff"
- Rigor typically begins 2-6 hours post-mortem in normal conditions
- Accelerated in hot transport van conditions
- "Stiffness" at 12:49 PM suggests earlier death
4. Vital Signs:
- "Vitals were absent" per EMS
- No pulse, no respiration
- Dilated pupils (sign of brain death)
6. PROTOCOL VIOLATIONS & QUESTIONS¶
Medical Clearance for Transport¶
Blood Pressure 226/57:
- Hypertensive emergency (systolic >180 requires immediate treatment)
- 226 systolic = imminent stroke risk
- 57 diastolic = abnormally low (wide pulse pressure)
- Medical standard: This is a medical emergency, not cleared for non-emergency transport
Questions:
1. Who cleared him for transport with these vitals?
2. Was physician consulted about 226/57 reading?
3. Why wasn't he sent to hospital instead of detention center?
4. Were vital signs communicated to TransCor personnel?
Emergency Response¶
TransCor Actions:
1. Why 14-minute delay between "unresponsive" and EMS arrival?
2. If detainee "still breathing," why no immediate CPR?
3. Why leave detainee upright if experiencing medical emergency?
4. Were TransCor personnel trained in basic life support?
Jail Medical Care:
1. What caused dramatic deterioration May 4-5?
2. Was he seen by medical staff after son's May 4 visit?
3. Why was family denied medical information on May 5 morning?
4. What medical documentation exists for his 26-day detention?
7. FAMILY RESPONSE¶
Children's Statements¶
Junior (son):
- May 4 visit showed father unable to stand, speak, or make eye contact
- Called sister crying about father's condition
- Knew something was seriously wrong
Nayely (daughter):
"If he was in good condition my brother would have never called me crying"
- Rushed to jail morning of May 5 to demand medical information
- Denied access to medical details
- Learned of death via Mexican Consulate phone call later that day
- Requesting camera footage from jail and transport
Sammy (older son):
"We want the truth"
- Family united in demanding transparency
- Questioning official narrative
Family's Position¶
Core Allegations:
1. Father was healthy at arrest
2. Something happened during 26-day jail detention
3. Medical care inadequate or absent
4. Transport decision negligent given vital signs
5. Official timeline doesn't match physical evidence
6. Lack of transparency from authorities
8. CONGRESSIONAL & OFFICIAL RESPONSE¶
U.S. Senate Investigation¶
Senators Jon Ossoff & Raphael Warnock (D-GA):
- September 23, 2025: Sent letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
- Demanded answers about Avellaneda-Delgado death
- Raised concerns about TransCor/CoreCivic transport safety
- Part of broader inquiry into Georgia ICE custody deaths
- Cited media reports about timeline discrepancies
Congressional Questions:
1. Why was detainee cleared for transport with dangerous vitals?
2. What training do TransCor personnel receive?
3. What emergency medical equipment required in transport vans?
4. How many deaths have occurred during TransCor transport?
5. Will ICE change medical clearance protocols?
Investigations Status (as of research date)¶
Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI):
- Nearly one month after death: Had not requested records from Lowndes County Jail
- No public updates on investigation
ICE Internal Review:
- Confirmed death occurred May 5, 2025
- Stated death "under investigation"
- No findings released
Mexican Consulate:
- Notified family of death
- Unclear what role in investigation
Webster County Coroner:
- Suspects aortic aneurysm as cause of death
- Awaiting toxicology results
- No official cause of death released as of research
9. PATTERN ANALYSIS¶
TransCor/CoreCivic Transport Deaths¶
Corporate Background:
- TransCor is wholly-owned subsidiary of CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America)
- For-profit prison/detention company
- Contracted by ICE for detainee transport nationwide
- Multiple prior deaths during transport reported
Systemic Issues:
1. Medical screening inadequacy before transport
2. Staff training concerns
3. Emergency response protocols questioned
4. Profit-driven model vs. medical safety
5. Lack of independent oversight
Georgia ICE Detention Deaths¶
2025 Context:
- Multiple deaths in Georgia ICE custody/transport
- Stewart Detention Center (destination facility) has documented medical care issues
- Congressional scrutiny of Georgia facilities increasing
- Pattern of inadequate medical care allegations
10. GAPS & UNVERIFIED INFORMATION¶
What Remains Unclear:
- Cause of Death: Coroner suspects aortic aneurysm but awaiting toxicology
- Actual Time of Death: Contradictory evidence between 12:00-12:38 PM
- Jail Medical Records: What treatment, if any, provided April 9-May 5?
- May 4-5 Medical Care: Was he seen after son reported deterioration?
- Transport Van Conditions: Temperature, ventilation, medical equipment?
- TransCor Training: What first aid/CPR training do personnel have?
- Video Evidence: Jail and transport van footage not released
- Blood Pressure Context: When was 226/57 reading taken? By whom?
- GBI Investigation: Why no records requested from jail?
- Autopsy Full Results: Not publicly released
11. KEY FINDINGS¶
Confirmed Facts (High Confidence):¶
- Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado, 68, Mexican grandfather from Statenville, GA
- Arrested April 9, 2025 for probation violation; healthy at arrest
- Held 26 days at Lowndes County Jail
- May 4: Son found him unable to stand, speak, or make eye contact
- May 5: Blood pressure 226/57 documented before transport
- Died during TransCor transport to Stewart Detention Center
- Pronounced dead 1:25 PM by Webster County Coroner
- Body found "cold and stiff" by EMS at 12:49 PM
- Georgia Senators investigating
Disputed/Contradictory (High Confidence of Discrepancy):¶
- ICE/TransCor: Became unresponsive 12:35 PM, still breathing 12:38 PM
- Forensic evidence: Body temperature indicates death 30-45 min before EMS arrival (12:04-12:19 PM)
- Jail: Left in "good condition"
- Family: Dramatically deteriorated, unable to stand or speak day before
Critical Protocol Violations (High Confidence):¶
- Blood pressure 226/57 should have precluded non-emergency transport
- Medical emergency not recognized or ignored
- Family denied medical information day of death
- No CPR attempted despite "breathing" claims
- Investigations delayed/inadequate
12. SYSTEMIC CONCERNS¶
Medical Clearance for Transport:
- Standards inadequate for elderly detainees with medical issues
- Jail/ICE communication failures about medical status
- For-profit transport company incentives conflict with medical safety
Emergency Response in Transport:
- TransCor personnel medical training inadequate
- 14-minute gap between "unresponsive" and EMS
- No emergency medical equipment evident
- No resuscitation attempts
Accountability Gaps:
- Private contractor (TransCor/CoreCivic) shields ICE from direct liability
- GBI not requesting records suggests inadequate investigation
- Family denied access to medical records
- No independent medical examiner involvement
FINAL ASSESSMENT¶
Overall Confidence: HIGH
What We Know For Certain:
A 68-year-old grandfather, healthy at arrest, deteriorated dramatically during 26-day jail detention. Despite blood pressure of 226/57 (stroke-level crisis), he was cleared for ICE transport. He died in the van, found "cold and stiff" by EMS. Forensic evidence contradicts official timeline by 30+ minutes, suggesting he died before TransCor called 911. No cause of death officially released. Family denied answers.
Critical Questions:
1. Why was he cleared for transport with 226/57 blood pressure?
2. Did he die before TransCor called 911, and was his death concealed?
3. What happened during 26 days in jail to cause dramatic deterioration?
4. Why has Georgia Bureau of Investigation not requested jail records?
5. Will anyone be held accountable?
Significance:
This case exemplifies lethal failures in ICE detention/transport system:
- Medical screening failures before transport
- For-profit contractor prioritizing schedule over medical safety
- Potential cover-up of death timeline
- Inadequate emergency response
- State investigation failures
- Family stonewalled from information
- Elderly detainees at extreme risk
Disclaimer:
This report compiled from publicly available sources as of February 5, 2026. Official cause of death unreleased. Congressional and coroner investigations ongoing. Timeline contradictions documented. Use responsibly and verify independently.
Research completed: February 5, 2026
Methodology: OSINT Cycle with three-source verification
Sources: 10+ sources including ICE official statements, congressional inquiry, medical expert analysis, family interviews, coroner reports
Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only