A 49-year-old Canadian, Johnny Noviello, has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Noviello was pronounced dead on June 23 at 1:36 p.m. by the Miami Fire Rescue Department after being found unresponsive at a federal detention center.
ICE reported that medical staff attempted life-saving measures, including CPR and defibrillation, after Noviello was discovered unresponsive at 12:54 p.m. His death is currently under investigation.
Noviello had been detained pending deportation proceedings. He was arrested on May 15 at a Florida probation office and charged with removal due to violations of U.S. drug laws. Previously, he was convicted in October 2023 for racketeering and opioid trafficking, resulting in a one-year prison sentence.
According to ICE, Noviello had resided in the U.S. since January 1988 and became a legal permanent resident in October 1991. Canadian consular officials have been informed of his death. Global Affairs Canada has not yet commented on the matter.
U.S. law mandates ICE to publish reports on all in-custody deaths within 90 days. This marks the tenth such report in ICE’s current fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2024.