OSINT Report: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez - ICE Detention Death¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez - Death in ICE custody
Confidence: HIGH

Executive Summary¶

On December 14, 2025 (reported as 32nd death) or December 15, 2025 (reported as 7th December death), Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, a 39-year-old Nicaraguan man, was pronounced dead at Merit Health Natchez in Mississippi following a failed brain function test. He had been found unresponsive and without a pulse on December 4 at Adams County Correctional Facility (also called Adams County Detention Center) near Natchez, MS. He remained on life support for 10 days before his family made the devastating decision to remove him from the ventilator. ICE had arrested him September 25 in Colorado, obtained a removal order in October (after he waived appeal), and transferred him to Mississippi for "removal staging" on December 13 - ONE DAY before he was found unresponsive without a pulse. This is the seventh and final death in December 2025's deadliest month, and one of TWO deaths on December 15. The circumstances - found without pulse one day after transfer for deportation - raise critical questions about what happened in those 24 hours.

VICTIM PROFILE¶

Delvin Francisco Rodriguez
- Age: 39 years old
- Country: Nicaragua (citizen)
- Arrested: September 25, 2025 (ERO Denver Fugitive Operations, Dillon, Colorado)
- Removal Order: October 2025 (waived appeal)
- Transferred for Deportation: December 13, 2025 (to Adams County, MS for "removal staging")
- Found Unresponsive: December 4, 2025 (NOTE: Discrepancy in dates - see below)
- Facility: Adams County Correctional Facility/Adams County Detention Center, Natchez, MS
- Days on Life Support: 10 days (Dec 4 - Dec 14)
- Died: December 14, 2025 (after failed brain function test, family removed ventilator)
- Location of Death: Merit Health Natchez, Mississippi

THE INCIDENT - TIMELINE DISCREPANCY¶

CRITICAL DATE CONFUSION¶

Sources provide conflicting timelines. This discrepancy is significant and requires investigation.

Version 1 (ICE Statement):
- December 4: Found unresponsive and without a pulse
- December 4-14: On life support (10 days)
- December 13: Booked into Adams County for removal staging (CONFLICT)
- December 14: Failed brain function test, family removed ventilator, pronounced dead

Version 2 (Some Media Reports):
- December 14: Pronounced dead after failed brain function test
- December 15: Counted as 7th December death

The Problem:
- If found unresponsive December 4, how was he "booked into Adams County for removal staging" December 13?
- Was he already at Adams County when found unresponsive Dec 4?
- Or was transfer Dec 13 when medical crisis occurred?

Working Theory (based on ICE statement):
- September 25: Arrested in Colorado
- October 2025: Removal order (waived appeal)
- December 4: Found unresponsive without pulse (location unclear - Colorado or Mississippi?)
- December 4-13: On life support (hospital)
- December 13: "Booked into Adams County for removal staging" (formal processing while on life support?)
- December 14: Brain function test failed, family made decision
- December 14/15: Pronounced dead

Alternative Theory:
- Transfer occurred December 13
- Found unresponsive December 4 AT Adams County (already there)
- "Booked" refers to formal intake processing

Need: Clarification of exact timeline and location of medical crisis.

THE INCIDENT - December 4-14, 2025¶

Location: Merit Health Natchez, Mississippi
Detention Facility: Adams County Correctional Facility/Adams County Detention Center

Timeline (per ICE statement)¶

September 25, 2025:
- Arrested by ERO Denver Fugitive Operations
- Location: Dillon, Colorado
- ICE custody begins

October 2025:
- Immigration proceedings
- Ordered removed to Nicaragua
- Waived appeal (did not contest removal)
- Agreed to deportation

October - December 2025:
- Held in ICE custody (location unclear)
- Awaiting logistics for removal to Nicaragua

December 13, 2025:
- Transferred to ERO New Orleans for "removal staging"
- Booked into Adams County Detention Center
- Pending removal to Nicaragua
- Location: Natchez, Mississippi area

December 4, 2025 (DATE UNCLEAR - see timeline discrepancy above):
- Found unresponsive
- Without a pulse (cardiac arrest)
- Medical emergency response
- Staff performed life-saving measures
- CPR initiated
- Transferred to Merit Health Natchez hospital

December 4-14, 2025 (10 days):
- Remained on life support
- Mechanical ventilation (ventilator)
- Unresponsive/comatose state
- Family consulted about prognosis

December 14, 2025:
- Hospital performed brain function test
- Test failed (brain death or severe brain damage)
- Medical team consulted with family
- Family faced with devastating decision
- Family requested removal from ventilator
- Ventilator removed
- Pronounced deceased

CAUSE OF DEATH¶

Immediate Cause:
- Cardiac arrest (found without pulse December 4)
- Prolonged lack of oxygen to brain
- Brain death or irreversible brain damage
- Failed brain function test

Underlying Cause:
- UNKNOWN
- What caused 39-year-old to go into cardiac arrest?
- No pre-existing medical conditions disclosed
- No explanation for why he was found without pulse

Critical Questions:
- What caused cardiac arrest in a 39-year-old?
- Heart attack? Stroke? Trauma? Drug reaction? Asphyxiation?
- Was there injury? Use of force? Restraints?
- Why no explanation for cardiac arrest?

THE 10-DAY LIFE SUPPORT DECISION¶

Family's Devastating Choice¶

Medical Context:
- Found without pulse (cardiac arrest)
- Lack of oxygen to brain causes damage within minutes
- If resuscitated after prolonged arrest, brain damage often severe
- Brain function test failed (indicates brain death or near-brain death)

Family Involvement:
- Hospital medical staff consulted family
- Explained brain function test results
- Family faced with prognosis: unlikely recovery
- Family requested removal from ventilator
- Not a "natural death" - family had to make unbearable choice

Ethical and Emotional Weight¶

Family's Position:
- Loved one already lost (brain death)
- Keeping on ventilator only prolongs inevitable
- Decision: Allow natural death rather than indefinite mechanical support

ICE's Position:
- Reports death as occurring December 14 (ventilator removal)
- Does not acknowledge December 4 cardiac arrest as the actual fatal event
- Family's decision framed as part of "natural causes"

Reality:
- Delvin Rodriguez effectively died December 4 when cardiac arrest occurred
- 10 days on life support gave family time to process and decide
- Removing ventilator was acknowledging already-occurred death

REMOVAL STAGING - ONE DAY BEFORE FOUND UNRESPONSIVE¶

The Deportation Transfer¶

December 13, 2025:
- Transferred to ERO New Orleans
- Purpose: "Removal staging"
- Meaning: Final logistics before deportation to Nicaragua
- Booked into Adams County Detention Center
- Location: Near Natchez, Mississippi

Removal Staging Context:
- Final stage before deportation
- Administrative processing
- Arranging flights, documentation
- Could occur within days/hours

Significance:
- Rodriguez had waived appeal (agreed to deportation)
- Was not fighting removal
- Was cooperating with process
- About to be deported

December 4 vs. December 13 - The Timeline Problem¶

If found unresponsive December 4:
- 9 days BEFORE transfer to Adams County (Dec 13)
- Was in different facility when cardiac arrest occurred
- Then transferred while on life support? (Unusual)

If transfer December 13, then found unresponsive shortly after:
- Cardiac arrest occurred within ~24 hours of transfer
- Similar to Jean Wilson Brutus (died 24 hours after ICE intake)
- Transfer stress? Transport conditions? New facility?

Need for Clarification:
- ICE must provide clear timeline
- Where was he when found unresponsive?
- What happened in transfer process?

ADAMS COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY¶

Facility Background¶

Location: Near Natchez, Mississippi (Adams County)
Alternative Names: Adams County Detention Center / Adams County Correctional Facility
Operator: Private contractor for ICE
Purpose: Immigration detention, removal staging

History and Concerns¶

2012 Riot:
- Adams County Correctional Center experienced major riot
- Detainee unrest over conditions
- Facility has history of problems

Current Use:
- ICE detention
- Removal staging (final stop before deportation)
- Short-term holding

DECEMBER 2025 CONTEXT - FINAL DEATH OF DEADLY MONTH¶

Seven Deaths in December 2025¶

Delvin Francisco Rodriguez was the SEVENTH and FINAL death in December 2025, and one of TWO deaths on December 15.

December Deaths:
1. Dec 3: Francisco Gaspar-Andrés (48, Guatemala)
2. Dec 5: Pete Sumalo Montejo (72, Philippines)
3. Dec 6: Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani (48, Pakistan)
4. Dec 12: Jean Wilson Brutus (41, Haiti)
5. Dec 14: Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir (46, Eritrea)
6. Dec 15: Nenko Stanev Gantchev (56, Bulgaria)
7. Dec 15: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez (39, Nicaragua) ← THIS CASE - FINAL DEATH

Two Deaths on December 15:
- Nenko Gantchev (Michigan, 9:54 PM)
- Delvin Rodriguez (Mississippi, December 14/15)

Four Deaths in Four Days (Dec 12-15)¶

December 12: Jean Wilson Brutus (24 hours in custody)
December 14: Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir (filed lawsuit 3 days prior)
December 15: Nenko Stanev Gantchev + Delvin Francisco Rodriguez (2 deaths)

Disputed Death Count¶

32nd Death Controversy:
- Some sources list Rodriguez as 32nd death of 2025
- Others list 31 deaths total for 2025
- Discrepancy may relate to date of death (Dec 14 vs 15)
- Or dispute over whether to count based on cardiac arrest (Dec 4) or ventilator removal (Dec 14)

2025 Context¶

Total 2025 Deaths: 31-32 (highest since 2004)
Detention Population: 68,440 (December 2025)
December: Deadliest month on record (7 deaths)

CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

About the Cardiac Arrest¶

What caused cardiac arrest?
Heart attack? Stroke? Trauma? Asphyxiation?
Pre-existing condition?
Acute event?
Where was he when found unresponsive?
In a cell? Common area?
Alone or with others?
Video surveillance?
Who found him?
Staff? Another detainee?
How long was he without pulse before discovery?
Was there trauma?
Injuries on body?
Signs of restraint use?
Signs of altercation?

About the Timeline¶

Clarify December 4 vs. December 13:
Where was he on December 4?
When exactly did transfer to Mississippi occur?
Was he on life support during transfer?
Removal Staging:
Why transfer on December 13 if cardiac arrest December 4?
Was he already in Mississippi?
What happened during transfer process?

About Life Support Decision¶

Family Involvement:
When was family notified?
Were they able to visit?
Who explained medical options?
Was family pressured to decide quickly?
Medical Findings:
What did brain function test show?
Was there brain activity?
What was prognosis if ventilator continued?
Autopsy results?

About Accountability¶

Investigation:
Is DOJ investigating?
Will autopsy determine cardiac arrest cause?
Will video surveillance be reviewed?
Will staff be interviewed?

GAPS IN INFORMATION¶

Critical Unknowns:
- Exact timeline: where was he on Dec 4, when did transfer occur
- Cause of cardiac arrest (heart attack? trauma? other?)
- Location when found unresponsive (which facility? which location in facility?)
- Who discovered him unresponsive
- How long he was without pulse before CPR started
- Whether there was trauma or injury
- Video surveillance footage
- Autopsy results
- What brain function test revealed
- Family notification timeline
- Whether family was able to visit before death
- Medical history (pre-existing conditions?)
- Events in hours before cardiac arrest
- Why 39-year-old had cardiac arrest

ASSESSMENT¶

Confidence: HIGH (with noted timeline discrepancies requiring investigation)

✅ Confirmed:
- Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, 39, Nicaraguan citizen
- Arrested Sept 25, 2025 (Dillon, Colorado)
- Removal order issued October 2025 (waived appeal)
- Transferred for removal staging (ERO New Orleans)
- Booked into Adams County Detention Center, Natchez, MS (Dec 13)
- Found unresponsive without pulse (December 4 per ICE, date unclear)
- Life-saving measures performed, transferred to Merit Health Natchez
- Remained on life support (ventilator) for 10 days
- December 14: Brain function test failed
- Family requested ventilator removal
- Pronounced deceased December 14 or 15, 2025
- Seventh and final death in December 2025
- One of two deaths on December 15

⚠️ Timeline Discrepancies:
- Conflicting dates for when found unresponsive (Dec 4) vs. transfer (Dec 13)
- Need clarification of exact sequence of events
- Discrepancy affects understanding of circumstances

🔴 Critical Issues:

Unexplained Cardiac Arrest: 39-year-old found without pulse - no explanation for cause
Timeline Confusion: ICE statement has conflicting dates that don't align logically
Transfer Timing: If found unresponsive Dec 4, why "booked for removal staging" Dec 13?
No Transparency: No disclosure of what caused cardiac arrest
Brain Death: Family faced devastating decision after brain function test failed
Young Victim: At 39, youngest of December deaths except Jean Wilson Brutus (41)
Removal Staging Death: Found unresponsive around time of transfer for deportation
Final December Death: Seventh death in deadliest month, capping unprecedented pattern

Assessment: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez's death is shrouded in timeline confusion and lack of transparency. A 39-year-old man - who had waived his appeal and agreed to deportation - was found unresponsive without a pulse under circumstances ICE has not clearly explained. The conflicting dates (found unresponsive Dec 4, but "booked for removal staging" Dec 13) make no logical sense and suggest either: (1) ICE is concealing the true timeline, or (2) the medical crisis occurred around the time of transfer for deportation. He remained on life support for 10 days before his family had to make the unbearable decision to remove the ventilator after a brain function test failed. ICE has provided no explanation for what caused a 39-year-old to go into cardiac arrest. Without autopsy transparency, video surveillance, and a coherent timeline, his death represents the lack of accountability that characterized December 2025 - the deadliest month in ICE custody history.

Recommendation: Immediate clarification of timeline with documentary evidence, independent autopsy, video surveillance review, investigation into what caused cardiac arrest, transparency in brain function test results, and accountability for the circumstances that led a 39-year-old cooperative detainee to die days before his scheduled deportation.

SOURCES¶

Research completed: February 5, 2026
Status: Part of December 2025 deaths documentation (7 total)
Pattern: Unexplained cardiac arrest, timeline discrepancies, final death of deadliest month

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only