'Seeking more information from US': Canadian man in ICE custody passes away; Ottawa reacts

A Canadian man who was in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has passed away, it said in a statement, adding that the cause of death is being ascertained.The federal agency identified the individual as 49-year-old Johnny Noviello."Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old citizen of Canada in the custody of USICE, was pronounced deceased by the Miami Fire Rescue Department June 23 at 1:36 pm. The cause of death is still under investigation," the statement read.The ICE statement added that Noviello was being detained at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Centre in Miami pending removal proceedings."He was found unresponsive at 12:54 pm. Medical staff responded immediately and began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator shock, and called 911," it added.Providing further details, ICE shared that Noviello arrived in America in January 1988 on a legal visa and became a permanent resident here in October 1991. He was convicted in October 2023 for racketeering and drug trafficking.

He was arrested by ICE on May 15.Canada reactsCanadian foreign minister Anita Anand confirmed that the Canadian government has been informed about Noviello's death."Today, the government of Canada was notified of the death of a Canadian citizen while in custody in the United States. Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials. I offer my sincere condolences to the family. In order to respect the family’s privacy, further details will not be provided at this time," Anand wrote on her social media handle.

The US border immigration agency has reported seven in-custody deaths in 2025 as of May 5, according to its own website.