Detainee escaped from Georgia ICE facility, manhunt still underway
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee escaped from a Georgia detention facility on Sunday, setting off a manhunt that has pulled in local, state and federal law enforcement.
Charlton County authorities identified the escapee as Beneck Barthold, a 35-year-old Haitian national.
In a statement, Charlton County Sheriff Robert Phillips said Barthold was discovered missing from the D. Ray James Correctional Facility in Folkston at around 10 a.m. He is believed to have stripped naked and climbed over a razor wire-lined fence to escape.
“It’s bad, bad razor wire. This stuff cuts you. He’s hurt. I don’t know if he had somebody pick him up or if he’s out there dead somewhere or hurting and hiding,” Phillips said in an interview on Wednesday.
In public advisories about the search, the Charlton County Emergency Management Agency described Barthold as “likely injured” and “potentially dangerous.” It urged residents to remain vigilant.
The D. Ray James Correctional Facility began holding ICE detainees in the summer of 2025, following a merger with the adjacent Folkston ICE Processing Center. Following the merger, the center’s combined capacity increased to nearly 3,000 beds, making it one of the nation’s largest ICE detention centers.
As of early July, roughly 2,200 ICE detainees were held in Folkston, according to federal data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a nonpartisan research organization at Syracuse University.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Barthold had been in ICE custody.
According to a DHS spokesperson, Barthold was first arrested by the Union County Sheriff’s Office on July 7 for driving under the influence. He had previously “illegally entered the country on an unknown date and location,” a DHS official said.
Charlton County officials said the search for Barthold included roughly 60 officers combing the area on foot, in vehicle patrols, as well as K-9 deployments, drone operations and aerial support from Georgia State Patrol. Agents went door-to-door in housing near the detention facility to check in on residents.
“ICE is actively working with local authorities to locate Barthold and have confidence we will locate him before he has the chance to commit another crime,” the DHS spokesperson added.
Barthold’s escape comes amid a tumultuous period for the Folkston ICE facility. Late last month, Salvadoran detainee Luis Sandoval was found dead with a ligature around his neck. And meanwhile, a group of detainees’ ongoing hunger strike over poor conditions and prolonged detentions recently crossed the one-month mark.