Alligator Alcatraz — South Florida Detention Facility¶
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Date: February 18, 2026
Type: Infrastructure Intelligence — Facility Dossier
Confidence: HIGH
Status: ACTIVE — facility operational
Executive Summary¶
"Alligator Alcatraz" is the first federally-funded, state-run immigration detention facility in the United States. Built on an abandoned airstrip inside Big Cypress National Preserve, it represents a new model of detention: a state facility holding federal immigration detainees outside the federal database system, creating a systemic accountability gap that has resulted in approximately 800-1,200 people disappearing from ICE's tracking systems.
The facility was built using emergency powers, no-bid contracts, and $360M+ in state funds — with major contracts going to DeSantis campaign donors. Amnesty International has documented torture, including a punishment device called "The Box," and called the facility a "copy of Guantanamo."
CRITICAL: Two Facilities, Often Conflated¶
Reporting frequently conflates two separate Florida detention facilities:
Alligator Alcatraz (South Florida Detention Facility)¶
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official Name | South Florida Detention Facility (aka Florida Soft-Sided Facility-South) |
| Nickname | "Alligator Alcatraz" (coined by FL AG James Uthmeier, June 19, 2025) |
| Location | Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, Ochopee, FL (inside Big Cypress National Preserve) |
| Operator | State of Florida (NOT federal ICE) |
| Capacity | Up to 3,000 (expandable to 5,000) |
| Construction | Tents and trailers on 39-square-mile abandoned airstrip |
| Opened | July 1-3, 2025 (Trump, Noem, DeSantis present) |
| Authorization | DeSantis emergency powers — bypassed normal procurement |
| Database Integration | NOT integrated into ICE detention locator — this is the accountability gap |
Krome Processing Center (Separate Facility)¶
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Krome North Service Processing Center |
| Location | 18201 S.W. 12th Street, Miami, FL 33194 |
| Operator | Akima Global Services LLC (private, for-profit since 2008) |
| Capacity | 581-850 |
| Status | Oldest immigration detention facility in the US (~1980) |
| History | DOJ investigated for sexual abuse (2000); civil rights complaint from 9 Black immigrants re: anti-Black racism (2021) |
The Disappeared — ~800-1,200 Missing from ICE Database¶
What the Miami Herald Found¶
The Miami Herald (reporters Ben Wieder and Shirsho Dasgupta) conducted the definitive investigation:
| Date | Finding |
|---|---|
| July 14, 2025 | Published names of 700+ detainees |
| August 19, 2025 | Published second list of 1,400 detainees |
| September 16, 2025 | Combined analysis: two-thirds of 1,800+ men detained during July could not be located |
Breakdown of the ~1,200 unaccounted:
- ~800 showed no record at all in ICE's online detention locator
- ~450 listed no location, only "Call ICE for details"
- Some were later found transferred or deported without notice to families/attorneys
The "4,000" Claim is FALSE¶
Some commentators (including Kyle Kulinski / Secular Talk) claim 4,000 missing. This is 3-5x inflated. No source supports this number. The actual documented figure is ~800-1,200, verified by Snopes (Feb 2, 2026).
Why People "Disappear"¶
The structural problem: Alligator Alcatraz is state-run but holds federal immigration detainees. Because it is not integrated into ICE's database systems, there is no federal tracking mechanism. When people are transferred from this state facility, they vanish from the system.
DHS Response¶
DHS spokesperson: "FALSE. No one is unaccounted — including at Alligator Alcatraz — in ICE's online detention locator system."
This is a non-denial denial. The Herald's methodology was to search the ICE locator for known detainee names and find no records. DHS saying "no one is unaccounted in our system" is exactly the problem — they are not in the system.
NBC6 Investigation: DeSantis Lied About Detainee Status¶
NBC6 Investigates analyzed 917,000+ ICE detention records and data on 6,700+ people housed at the facility:
- DeSantis claimed all detainees had final orders of deportation
- NBC6 found only 31% did on the day he made that claim
- More than 1,000 people had no final deportation order
Source: NBC6 Investigates (Dec 2025)
Conditions — Amnesty International (Dec 4, 2025)¶
Report: "Torture and Enforced Disappearances in the Sunshine State"
Alligator Alcatraz¶
- Overflowing toilets with fecal matter seeping into sleeping areas
- Limited access to showers
- Exposure to insects without protective measures
- Lights on 24 hours a day
- Poor quality food and water
- Lack of privacy
- "The Box": A 2x2-foot cage-like structure in the open sun. Detainees shackled at hands and feet, chained to the ground for hours without food or water, used as punishment
- Amnesty called it a "copy of Guantanamo"
Krome¶
- Extreme overcrowding: 200 people in room meant for 85; 600-capacity building holding 1,200
- Denial of medical care
- Guard abuse (Amnesty staff witnessed guard slamming metal door flap against man's injured hand)
- Prolonged/arbitrary solitary confinement
- Sleeping on floors
- Broken air conditioning
Coverage¶
- NPR (Dec 11, 2025) (Tier 2)
- Democracy Now (Dec 10, 2025) (Tier 2)
- Amnesty International (Tier 1)
Deaths in Custody¶
Krome Deaths (Confirmed)¶
| Name | Nationality | Age | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genry Ruiz Guillen | Honduras | — | Jan 23, 2025 | |
| Maksym Chernyak | Ukraine | 44 | Feb 20, 2025 | |
| Hasan Ali Moh'D Saleh | Jordan | 67 | Oct 11, 2025 | At Larkin Community Hospital |
Between December 2024 and April 2025, 4 deaths in Florida detention = half of all ICE custody fatalities that fiscal year. Nine medical experts concluded deaths were likely preventable.
Alligator Alcatraz Deaths¶
DHS officially denies any deaths at Alligator Alcatraz. However:
- Luis Manuel Rivas Velasquez collapsed; guards ignored pleas; cellmates dragged him to hallway
- DHS said he "fainted" and was taken to hospital "out of precaution"
- NPR (Aug 9, 2025): "This Is a Death Camp" — advocates and detainees warning
Amnesty International reported 6 total deaths in Florida immigration detention in 2025, including 4 at Krome.
Incinerator Claims — DEBUNKED¶
In early July 2025, a TikTok user claimed a neighbor received a government contract to install incinerators at the facility. The creator retracted her own claim four days later.
| Source | Finding |
|---|---|
| Snopes (July 3, 2025) | No evidence of incinerator installation |
| PolitiFact (July 10, 2025) | Rated "flimsy" |
| DHS (Aug 14, 2025) | Official denial |
| France 24 (July 15, 2025) | International debunk |
| Lead Stories | Viral video was from Minnesota, not Florida |
| Factually.co | Bio-incinerators standard in many industries |
Note: The TITUS/WEXMAC contract does reference "Medical Waste Management" with biohazard incinerator protocols. This is real contract language for standard medical waste infrastructure. The extermination interpretation is not supported by evidence. See TITUS-CONTRACT.md for full analysis.
Financial / Corruption¶
No-Bid Contracts¶
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total spent to date | $360 million+ |
| Projected annual operating costs | $450 million/year |
| No-bid "emergency" contracts | 34 |
| No-bid contract value | $225 million+ |
Key Contractors and Conflicts¶
| Contractor | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Access Restoration Services US | $108M contracts + $101M purchase orders | Major DeSantis campaign donor; most contracts from Governor's office via emergency orders |
| Doodie Calls (portable toilets) | $40M+ | |
| SLSCO Ltd. (Texas) | ~$20M | Tied to Trump's border wall construction |
Contractors had no detention experience per Insurance Journal (July 3, 2025).
Watchdog Coverage¶
- Local10 (Oct 20, 2025) — "Is Alligator Alcatraz a pay-to-play project?"
- WGCU (July 2, 2025) — "Big campaign donor set to reap millions"
- Sun-Sentinel Editorial (Dec 13, 2025) — "Alligator Alcatraz is a DeSantis Disgrace"
Lawsuits¶
Environmental (Judge Kathleen M. Williams)¶
- August 2025: Preliminary injunction — facility can stay open but no expansion, no additional detainees, no additional industrial lighting
- Appeals court later halted the wind-down order, allowing operations to resume
ACLU Civil Rights¶
- Filed August 2025, challenged state authority to run immigration detention (federal jurisdiction)
- December 2025: Judge Kyle Dudek denied preliminary injunction
Attorney Access (Judge Rodolfo Ruiz)¶
- ACLU alleged facility preventing detainees from accessing attorneys
- August 2025: Some claims ruled moot after Trump admin designated Krome as hearing site
Florida Expansion¶
DeSantis is building a network of state-run detention:
| Facility | Status |
|---|---|
| Alligator Alcatraz (Ochopee) | Operational |
| Deportation Depot | Opened |
| Panhandle Pokey | Announced December 2025 |
Timeline¶
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1960s | Dade County purchases 39 sq mi of swampland for Everglades Jetport; abandoned after environmental opposition |
| ~1980 | Krome Processing Center opens |
| 2000 | DOJ investigates Krome for sexual abuse |
| 2008 | Krome privatized |
| June 19, 2025 | FL AG announces "Alligator Alcatraz"; DeSantis uses emergency powers |
| July 1-3, 2025 | Grand opening with Trump, Noem, DeSantis |
| Early July 2025 | TikTok incinerator claims go viral; debunked within days |
| July 14, 2025 | Miami Herald publishes first list of 700+ detainee names |
| August 2025 | ACLU lawsuit filed; environmental injunction issued |
| Aug 19, 2025 | Herald publishes second list of 1,400 names |
| Sept 16, 2025 | Herald analysis: 2/3 of July detainees missing from ICE database |
| Oct 20, 2025 | Watchdogs demand no-bid contract transparency |
| Dec 4, 2025 | Amnesty International: "Torture and Enforced Disappearances" report |
| Dec 2025 | NBC6 investigation: only 31% had final deportation orders |
| Dec 25, 2025 | DeSantis confirms facility "still being operated," hints at "Panhandle Pokey" |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Snopes re-verifies ~1,200 missing figure; debunks "4,000" inflation |
Intelligence Gaps¶
- Current population count and breakdown by nationality
- Status of ACLU lawsuit appeal
- "Deportation Depot" and "Panhandle Pokey" — locations, capacity, contractors
- Access Restoration Services ownership structure and full DeSantis donation history
- Has any Congressional oversight visit occurred at Alligator Alcatraz specifically?
- Amnesty International follow-up — any repeat visits planned?
- Florida state Inspector General involvement?
- Are the ~800 missing from ICE locator still unaccounted?
- What happened to the environmental injunction appeal?
Sources¶
- Miami Herald — Definitive investigation on missing detainees (July-Sept 2025) (Tier 2)
- Amnesty International — "Torture and Enforced Disappearances" report (Dec 4, 2025) (Tier 1)
- NBC6 Investigates — 917K records analysis, DeSantis deportation order lie (Dec 2025) (Tier 2)
- Snopes — Incinerator debunk (July 2025), 1,200 missing verification (Feb 2026) (Tier 1 — fact-checking)
- PolitiFact — Incinerator "flimsy" rating (July 2025) (Tier 1 — fact-checking)
- NPR — "This Is a Death Camp" (Aug 2025), Amnesty report coverage (Dec 2025) (Tier 2)
- Democracy Now — "Where Are the Detainees?" (Sept 2025), Amnesty coverage (Dec 2025) (Tier 2)
- ACLU Florida — Lawsuit filings, death tracking (Tier 1)
- Project Censored — Named top censored story (Tier 1 — media criticism)
- WGCU / WLRN — Local Florida public media coverage (Tier 2)
- Local10 — No-bid contract watchdog reporting (Tier 2)
- Insurance Journal — Contractor inexperience (Tier 2)
- France 24 — International incinerator debunk (Tier 2)
- DHS — Official statements (Tier 4 — claims only, not facts)
- National Immigrant Justice Center — Lawsuit challenging 287(g) authority (Tier 1) — https://immigrantjustice.org/press-release/new-lawsuit-challenges-floridas-authority-to-detain-people-at-notorious-florida-everglades-detention-center/
- Florida Policy Institute — Cost analysis, $225M no-bid contracts (Tier 2) — https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/floridas-immigration-internment-camp-stunt-came-at-the-cost-of-law-lives-and-urgent-state-priorities
- Wikipedia — Alligator Alcatraz article (reference, not source) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_Alcatraz
Verification: Core facts confirmed by 5+ independent sources across multiple tiers. Missing detainee count verified by Miami Herald primary investigation + Snopes. Conditions verified by Amnesty on-site investigation + congressional visits. Incinerator debunked by 6 independent fact-checkers.
Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only