ICE detainee dies after being found unresponsive at Phelps County jail in Rolla, Mo.

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

ROLLA, Mo., (KBSI) — A 27-year-old Colombian man detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) died Monday at a St. Louis hospital after being found unresponsive in his cell at the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Missouri, according to an ICE detainee death report.

Brayan Rayo-Garzon, born Nov. 23, 1997, in Colombia, was pronounced dead at 2:24 p.m. on April 8, 2025, at Mercy South Hospital in St. Louis.

According to the report, Rayo-Garzon entered the United States illegally near San Ysidro, California, on Nov. 30, 2023, and was placed in removal proceedings. An immigration judge ordered his removal in absentia on June 12, 2024.

He was later arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago on March 25, 2025, after being released from the St. Louis City Justice Center, and was detained at Phelps County Jail pending deportation.

Rayo-Garzon had previous arrests in Missouri, including a May 2024 shoplifting charge in Shrewsbury and a March 2025 arrest in St. Louis for fraudulent use of a credit or debit device.

The report states that Rayo-Garzon underwent a medical screening on March 27, during which he reported anxiety and a history of a heart murmur but denied suicidal thoughts. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and was treated for symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches.

On April 7, at approximately 9:50 p.m., jail staff found Rayo-Garzon unresponsive in his cell with a blanket around his neck. Deputies and medical personnel-initiated CPR, and he was transported to Phelps Health Hospital before being airlifted to Mercy South Hospital, where doctors determined he had no brain activity.

ICE confirmed that Rayo-Garzon died the following day while still in custody. The agency said the case remains under review.