Diabetic Costa Rican father dies in ICE custody after complaints of missed insulin, poor care
Sep 23, 2026·Location: LA
Country of origin: Costa Rica

Carlos Josué Marchena-Marchena, a 36-year-old Costa Rican father of four who worked as a ride-service driver, was found unresponsive on September 18, 2026 at Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He had Type 1 diabetes and had been detained since January, transferred between facilities in Michigan, California, and Louisiana; his cousin said his care was adequate in Michigan but worsened after later transfers, though his sister said his decline began in Michigan after he was placed in a security cell following an argument with another detainee. His sister, girlfriend, and a fellow detainee said he repeatedly complained of missed insulin shots, inadequate food and water, and worsening symptoms including chest pain, vomiting, chills, and stomach pain, with his girlfriend saying he called around midnight the night before his death saying his medication wasn't helping. An immigration judge ordered his removal on July 29, 2026, and he had requested bail and voluntary deportation to Costa Rica, both denied. ICE said he received appropriate medical care, while a fellow detainee said he received only irregular insulin shots and a single pill for his symptoms. His death is the third reported at the Louisiana facility since April 2026, following a DHS Inspector General report finding violations in medical care, food service, and use of force, and at least the 58th ICE detainee death nationwide since January 2025. A GoFundMe was launched to return his body to Costa Rica while his family awaits autopsy results.
Timeline
Sources
- Costa Rican man complained of lack of care for diabetes before he died in ICE custody, family says
NBC News·Sep 23, 2026
- Costarricense fallece bajo custodia de ICE en Estados Unidos
- “Su último deseo fue volver a su patria”: recogen fondos para familia de tico que murió bajo custodia de ICE
quetortacr.com·Sep 19, 2026·archived copy
- Costarricense de 37 años murió bajo custodia del ICE en Estados Unidos; familia denuncia falta de comida y medicamentos
- Man complained of lack of care for diabetes before death in ICE custody: Family
- Costa Rican man complained of lack of care for diabetes before his death in ICE custody, family says
Seattle Times·Sep 22, 2026
ganjingworld.com·Sep 22, 2026
- Immigrant Deaths in ICE Custody Nearly Double as Oversight Wanes
news.bloomberglaw.com·Sep 30, 2026
- Family of diabetic man who died in Louisiana ICE jail demands answers: ‘He needed support’
nola.com·Sep 24, 2026
- Detainee Carlos Josué Marchena Marchena, 36, died in ICE custody at Louisiana
standingrecord.com·Sep 24, 2026
- Costa Rican Detainee Dies in ICE Custody as Family Says Diabetes Treatment Was Overlooked
ibtimes.co.uk·Sep 24, 2026
- ice.gov
Sep 21, 2026
- 36-year-old Costa Rican dies at ICE detention center in Louisiana; third case reported
heraldousa.com·Sep 23, 2026
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