Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian National Dies in ICE Custody in Louisiana
Mamuka Artmeladze, a 43-year-old Georgian national, died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at a detention facility in Louisiana on June 4, according to an ICE statement released on June 7.
The agency said Artmeladze was found unresponsive at the Winn Correctional Center late on June 4. Staff initiated emergency medical procedures before he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death remains under investigation pending an autopsy.
According to ICE, Artmeladze entered the United States without legal authorization and was first encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in September 2022. He was released on parole and instructed to report to immigration authorities.
ICE said he was taken back into custody on February 5, 2026, during an enforcement operation in Alabama targeting commercial vehicle drivers considered public safety risks. Officials determined that he had no lawful status to remain in the country.
The agency said it notified the Department of Homeland Security, oversight offices within ICE, the Georgian Consulate, and Artmeladze's family following his death.
According to ABC News, Artmeladze is the 50th person to die in ICE detention during President Donald Trump's second administration.
Georgian Fighter Sentenced in Absentia by Russian-Backed Donetsk Court
A Russian-backed court in occupied Donetsk has sentenced Georgian fighter Nuri Mitagvaria, 34, in absentia to 14 years in a maximum-security penal colony for allegedly serving as a mercenary in Ukraine. Russian authorities also placed him on an international wanted list.
According to Russia's prosecutor's office, Mitagvaria joined Ukrainian forces after arriving in Ukraine in March 2022, serving with the Georgian National Legion and later with other Ukrainian military units. Prosecutors claimed he received 3.7 million rubles for his participation in combat operations against Russian forces.
The Georgian National Legion, composed largely of Georgian volunteers, has fought alongside Ukraine since 2014. Russia designated the group a terrorist organization in 2024, and several of its members have previously received similar in absentia sentences from Russian-backed authorities in Donetsk.
