OSINT Report: Nenko Stanev Gantchev - ICE Detention Death¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Nenko Stanev Gantchev - Death in ICE custody
Confidence: HIGH

Executive Summary¶

On December 15, 2025, Nenko Stanev Gantchev, a 56-year-old Chicago business owner from Bulgaria, was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell at North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, and pronounced dead at 9:54 PM. Despite living in Chicago for 30 years and being a lawful permanent resident since 2005, ICE arrested him September 23 when he appeared for his green card renewal interview at the USCIS Chicago office. His family reports he suffered from Type 2 diabetes that "went untreated while in federal custody" - he needed an echocardiogram but "at least a month went by up to the point that he died without receiving it." U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez called for investigation into "reports from other detainees that he asked for medical assistance and did not receive it in time to save his life." This is the sixth death in December 2025, and one of TWO deaths on December 15 (within hours of each other).

VICTIM PROFILE¶

Nenko Stanev Gantchev
- Age: 56 years old
- Country: Bulgaria (citizen)
- Immigration Status: Former Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR granted 2005, denied 2009)
- U.S. Entry: June 16, 1995 (J1 exchange visitor)
- Years in U.S.: 30 years (lived in Chicago)
- Occupation: Business owner (Chicago)
- Residence: Chicago, Illinois
- Arrested: September 23, 2025 (at USCIS office for green card interview)
- Facility: North Lake Correctional Facility, Baldwin, Michigan
- Time in Custody: Approximately 83 days (Sept 23 - Dec 15)
- Died: December 15, 2025, approximately 9:54 PM
- Medical Condition: Type 2 diabetes (untreated in custody per family)

THE INCIDENT - December 15, 2025¶

Location: North Lake Correctional Facility, Baldwin, Michigan
Facility Type: Contracted ICE detention center

Timeline¶

June 16, 1995:
- Entered United States as J1 exchange visitor
- Legal entry for educational/cultural exchange

May 17, 2005:
- Granted Lawful Permanent Resident status
- Green card holder
- Legal right to live in United States

May 14, 2009:
- LPR status denied (reason unknown but likely related to immigration violation or criminal matter)
- Lost green card

January 11, 2023:
- Immigration judge ordered return to Bulgaria
- Removal order issued

September 23, 2025:
- Appeared at USCIS Chicago office for interview
- Purpose: Discuss green card application (attempting to regain LPR status)
- ICE arrested him at the interview
- Transported to North Lake Correctional Facility, Baldwin, MI

September 23 - December 15, 2025 (83 days):
- Detained at North Lake facility
- Type 2 diabetes "went untreated" per family
- Needed echocardiogram (heart test) - not received
- "At least a month went by up to the point that he died without receiving it"
- Requested medical assistance (per other detainees)
- Assistance not provided in time

December 15, 2025, evening:
- Found unresponsive on the floor of his cell
- Facility medical staff responded
- Began CPR
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived shortly after
- Continued life-saving efforts
- Pronounced deceased approximately 9:54 PM

CAUSE OF DEATH¶

Official Cause (ICE Statement):
- "Suspected natural causes"
- Under investigation

Medical Context (per family):
- Type 2 diabetes (chronic condition)
- Needed echocardiogram (indicates cardiac concerns)
- Diabetes untreated in custody
- Medical assistance requested but not provided

Likely Causes:
- Diabetic complications (diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state)
- Cardiac event (needed echocardiogram suggests heart problems)
- Stroke (diabetes increases risk)
- Sudden cardiac death

Critical Fact: Family states diabetes was untreated and needed cardiac test was not provided for "at least a month" before death.

MEDICAL NEGLECT ANALYSIS - UNTREATED DIABETES¶

Type 2 Diabetes Management Requirements¶

Daily Management:
- Blood glucose monitoring (multiple times daily)
- Medications (metformin, insulin, etc.)
- Dietary restrictions (carbohydrate control)
- Exercise
- Foot care (diabetes causes neuropathy)

Complications if Untreated:
- Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) → diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) → seizures, coma, death
- Cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke)
- Kidney failure
- Vision loss
- Neuropathy (nerve damage)

Family Allegations¶

"Type 2 diabetes that went untreated while in federal custody":
- No insulin provided?
- No blood glucose monitoring?
- No diabetic diet?
- No access to medications?

"No accommodation for his type 2 diabetes":
- Detention facility failed to accommodate known medical condition
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violation?
- Deliberate indifference to serious medical needs?

Echocardiogram Denial¶

What is an Echocardiogram?:
- Ultrasound of the heart
- Assesses heart function, valve problems, heart failure
- Non-invasive, routine test

Family Statement:
- "He needed an echocardiogram"
- Medically necessary (doctor ordered)
- "At least a month went by up to the point that he died without receiving it"

Implication:
- Doctor recognized cardiac risk
- Ordered echocardiogram (standard of care)
- ICE/facility denied or delayed test
- Gantchev died before receiving it
- Untreated cardiac condition likely contributed to death

Other Detainees as Witnesses¶

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez Statement:

"Investigation into reports from other detainees that he asked for medical assistance and did not receive it in time to save his life"

Significance:
- Other detainees witnessed him requesting help
- Medical assistance was requested but not provided
- Delay in response may have been fatal
- Witnesses can testify to medical neglect

Questions:
- When did he request medical assistance?
- What symptoms was he experiencing?
- Who did he report to?
- How long before he was found unresponsive?
- Could timely response have saved him?

ARRESTED AT USCIS INTERVIEW - THE TRAP¶

The Green Card Appointment¶

Context:
- Gantchev lost LPR status in 2009
- 2023 removal order issued
- 2025: Applied to renew/regain green card
- September 23: Appeared for USCIS interview

The Arrest:
- Showed up in good faith for immigration interview
- ICE arrested him at USCIS office
- No opportunity to flee or hide
- Transported to Michigan (different state)

Analysis:
- USCIS appointment was a trap
- ICE used immigration process to arrest him
- He could have avoided interview, but complied with law
- Compliance with immigration system led to detention and death

Living in Chicago for 30 Years¶

Community Ties:
- Business owner in Chicago
- 30 years in same city
- Established life
- Not a flight risk

Family:
- Family members in Chicago area
- Support system
- Could have been released on bond with monitoring

Question: Why detain a 56-year-old business owner with 30 years in Chicago and medical needs requiring echocardiogram?

NORTH LAKE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - MICHIGAN¶

Facility Background¶

Location: Baldwin, Michigan
Operator: Contracted by ICE
Type: Detention center

Congressional Response¶

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL) Statement:
- Called for investigation into Gantchev's death
- Specifically requesting investigation into:
- Reports he asked for medical assistance
- Medical assistance not received in time
- Other detainee witnesses

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI) Statement:
- Michigan congresswoman
- Facility in her state
- Joined Ramirez in demanding accountability

2025 Deaths Context¶

National Pattern:
- 30 deaths in ICE custody in 2025
- Deadliest year in two decades
- North Lake Correctional Facility part of deadly system

DECEMBER 2025 CONTEXT - TWO DEATHS ON DECEMBER 15¶

Seven Deaths in December 2025¶

Nenko Stanev Gantchev was the SIXTH 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) ← THIS CASE
7. Dec 15: Delvin Francisco Rodriguez (39, Nicaragua) ← SAME DAY

Two Deaths on Same Day:
- Nenko Gantchev (Michigan, 9:54 PM)
- Delvin Rodriguez (Mississippi, date but time unknown)
- Both on December 15, 2025
- Unprecedented

Four Deaths in Four Days (Dec 12-15)¶

December 12: Jean Wilson Brutus
December 14: Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir
December 15: Nenko Stanev Gantchev + Delvin Francisco Rodriguez (2 deaths)

2025 Context¶

Total 2025 Deaths: 31-32 (highest since 2004)
Detention Population: 68,440 (December 2025)

CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

About Medical Care¶

Diabetes Management:
Was he receiving insulin or oral diabetes medications?
Was blood glucose monitored?
What diet was provided (diabetic diet)?
Were glucose levels documented?
Echocardiogram:
Who ordered the echocardiogram?
When was it ordered?
Why was it not provided?
Who denied or delayed it?
What cardiac condition was suspected?
Medical Requests:
When did he request medical assistance (per other detainees)?
What symptoms was he experiencing?
Who did he report to?
What response did he receive?
How long between request and finding him unresponsive?
Found Unresponsive:
Who found him?
When was he last seen alive?
What position was he in?
Were there signs of diabetic emergency?

About Detention Decision¶

Why detain a 56-year-old diabetic business owner?
What risk did he pose?
Why not alternatives to detention?
Why not release on bond with monitoring?
Arrest at USCIS Office:
Who coordinated ICE arrest at USCIS interview?
Is this standard practice?
Was it a setup?

About Accountability¶

Investigation:
Will other detainees be interviewed?
Will medical records be reviewed independently?
Will echocardiogram denial be investigated?
Will North Lake facility be held accountable?

GAPS IN INFORMATION¶

Critical Unknowns:
- Complete medical records (Sept 23 - Dec 15)
- Diabetes medication records (if any)
- Blood glucose monitoring logs (if any)
- Who ordered echocardiogram and when
- Documentation of echocardiogram denial/delay
- What symptoms prompted echocardiogram order
- When he requested medical assistance (per detainees)
- Names of detainee witnesses
- Response time when found unresponsive
- Autopsy results
- Specific cause of death
- Whether family was notified before death
- Complete immigration history (why LPR denied in 2009)

ASSESSMENT¶

Confidence: HIGH

✅ Confirmed:
- Nenko Stanev Gantchev, 56, Bulgarian citizen from Chicago
- Entered U.S. June 16, 1995 (J1 visa)
- LPR granted May 17, 2005; denied May 14, 2009
- Removal order issued Jan 11, 2023
- Business owner in Chicago (30 years)
- Arrested Sept 23, 2025 at USCIS Chicago office (green card interview)
- Detained at North Lake Correctional Facility, Baldwin, MI
- 83 days in custody
- Type 2 diabetes "went untreated" per family
- Needed echocardiogram, not provided for "at least a month"
- Requested medical assistance, not received in time (per other detainees)
- Found unresponsive on cell floor
- Pronounced deceased Dec 15, 2025, 9:54 PM
- ICE claims "suspected natural causes"
- Sixth death in December 2025
- One of two deaths on December 15

🔴 Critical Issues:

Untreated Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes "went untreated" in custody per family - fundamental medical neglect
Denied Echocardiogram: Needed cardiac test not provided for "at least a month" before death
Detainee Witnesses: Other detainees report he requested medical help that was not provided in time
Preventable Death: Diabetes and cardiac conditions are manageable with proper care
Arrested at Immigration Appointment: Used USCIS interview to arrest him - immigration compliance trap
30 Years in Chicago: Business owner with deep community ties detained rather than monitored
Two Deaths on December 15: He and Delvin Rodriguez died same day - system overwhelmed
Congressional Investigation Called: Reps. Ramirez and Tlaib demanding answers

Assessment: Nenko Stanev Gantchev's death exemplifies medical neglect in ICE detention. A 56-year-old diabetic business owner who lived in Chicago for 30 years was arrested when he showed up in good faith for his green card interview. For 83 days, his Type 2 diabetes "went untreated" according to his family. He needed an echocardiogram for a suspected cardiac condition - it was ordered but not provided for "at least a month" before his death. Other detainees witnessed him requesting medical assistance that was not provided in time to save his life. He was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell. This is deliberate indifference to serious medical needs - textbook Eighth Amendment violation (if criminal detention) and constitutional due process violation (civil detention). His death was preventable. His detention was unnecessary. His arrest was a trap. The failure to provide diabetic care and cardiac testing killed him.

Recommendation: Interview all detainee witnesses, independent medical review of diabetes management and echocardiogram denial, investigation by DOJ Civil Rights Division, accountability for medical staff and administrators who denied care, transparency in autopsy results, and review of ICE practice of arresting people at USCIS appointments.

SOURCES¶

Research completed: February 5, 2026
Status: Part of December 2025 deaths documentation (7 total)
Pattern: Untreated diabetes, denied echocardiogram, detainee witnesses to medical neglect