On February 8, however, Angelo was arrested by ICE agents along with eight Venezuelan friends while they were in an apartment recording a music video. They were all transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, and then taken to El Paso, Texas, to be deported to Venezuela on March 14. That day (Friday, March 14), Angelo called his mother and aunt to let them know that the planes had arrived and they would be deported that same day. However, Angelo contacted his mother again on the evening of March 14 to tell her that the flight had not left due to adverse weather conditions and that they were informed that they would leave on March 15, repeating that he would be deported to Venezuela. On March 15, Trump’s decree invoking the Alien Enemies Act was published. 

Although his relatives assumed that Angelo had been deported, they received no official notification. It was only through the media that they learned that he might have been transferred to a prison in El Salvador. Angelo had been clear in mentioning that they were told they would be deported to Venezuela, never to El Salvador.

Since his arrest, Angelo has been missing. On Thursday, March 20, his family found his name on an unofficial list of people taken to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. They have yet to receive official information from any government agency, and Angelo has been unable to communicate with them or access legal assistance.

His family members have stressed that after his arrest in February, Angelo had no lawyer, no hearing before an immigration judge, and the reasons for his arrest were not explained to him. Despite the fact that he had TPS, a work permit and an active asylum application, he was deported along with his friends. His family suspects that Angelo is in El Salvador, as they recognized some of his friends in propaganda videos released by the Trump administration.

The journey was arduous; he traveled through Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador before arriving in Colombia, and finally crossed the Darien jungle to reach Mexico City. There he worked in construction and in a fishmonger’s shop, while he enrolled in the CBP1 program to obtain an appointment that would allow him to enter the United States legally. After three months of waiting without receiving a response, he decided to turn himself in to immigration authorities on April 20, 2024. He was detained for three days in Piedras Negras before joining his sister in another state.

Upon arrival, Edicson was very sick, suffering from a high fever, but managed to recover. He showed up for his first appointment with ICE, where he took fingerprints and signed documents. At all weekly appointments, his sister accompanied him. However, at his third appointment, on May 13, 2024, his sister was unable to accompany him because she had to work. That day Edicson was detained because of his tattoos, which include a Jordan logo design on his neck and his mother’s name, “Maria Jesus,” adorned with stars on his arm.

Edicson’s sister quickly sought legal assistance. After five days, he was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, where his communication became limited. Despite requests for bail and parole, all were denied. Attempts to apply for asylum were unsuccessful, and after three months in detention, Edicson opted to apply for deportation to Venezuela, a process estimated to take 15-20 days, which he filed in July 2024.

However, days turned into weeks with no progress. Finally, they learned that he was to serve 190 days in the detention center after applying for deportation. This deadline was January 10, 2025. He was told that his case was delayed, but that he would receive assistance and be deported soon. The next day, by phone call, Edicson confirmed to his sister that he had been given a paper confirming his immediate deportation to Venezuela, as they had no charges or criminal record against him.

Edicson was transferred from Georgia to El Paso, Texas, where he spent several more days. There he was assured that he would soon be deported. After approximately 15 days in El Paso, he was transferred to another detention center called El Valle. In El Valle, he was informed that he would be deported to Mexico or Venezuela. He communicated with his sister every day, until the morning of Friday, March 14, when she told him that they were told the planes had arrived and that they would be leaving soon. However, that same night, at 10:30 p.m., he called her again to inform her that the flights had been cancelled due to the weather and that they would be leaving the next day.

That was the last time his sister heard from him. The next day, she, part of a WhatsApp group with other families of people in detention or in deportation proceedings, began to get anxious when she did not receive news of her brother, as several others also reported their relatives missing. On Sunday, news of flights arriving in El Salvador began to circulate. At first, it did not cross her mind that he could be there, until she saw a video where she recognized his tattoo with her mother’s name. Later, she identified a photo of the group of people who had arrived in El Salvador, confirming her fear.

Since then, they have not received any explanations or contact from lawyers in El Salvador, nor from the U.S. government. Edicson was included in the list of persons transferred to the CECOT Confinement Center. 

In 2022, the eldest son decided to make the journey to the United States. Finally, on May 10, 2023, Eira arrived in the U.S. She received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and a work permit. In June 2024, Euder and his youngest son were selected by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for resettlement and reunification with his family in the United States, and completed all the formalities, including medical and criminal background checks. Euder and his youngest son entered the country on September 10, 2024 through the human mobility program.

However, upon arrival at the airport, his son was detained by immigration because of a tattoo; he was separated from Euder without explanation, even the IOM could not understand the reason behind this action, and deported back to Ecuador, he is still there. Meanwhile, Euder was incarcerated in Montgomery, Houston, because there was no way to deport him to Ecuador, as he did not possess an Ecuadorian visa.

At the jail, the family sought an attorney to inform them of their options. The lawyer suggested that they would need a sponsor for Euder’s release. Despite finding one, they were unsuccessful in getting him released. The attorney recommended that Euder apply for deportation, but he refused, opting instead to apply for asylum. They presented all the necessary evidence and, on January 17, 2025, Euder had a first hearing. During the hearing, a prosecutor labeled him as a member of Tren de Aragua, which resulted in a deportation order and the denial of his asylum request. According to his partner’s testimony, Euder had no opportunity to defend himself.

He was subsequently transferred to a detention center in Rio Grande. The last time Eira had contact with him was on March 15 at 2 p.m., at which time Euder informed her that an ICE agent suggested the possibility of being deported to Mexico, as the process to Venezuela was taking time. However, Euder believed he would be deported to his home country.

On Sunday, Eira tried to contact Rio Grande, but got no information. Reading the news, she feared that Euder had been transferred to a different location. She called Rio Grande again on Monday and, this time, they confirmed that Euder had been deported on Saturday, although they were unable to inform her of his current whereabouts. 

Finally, on Thursday, March 20, Eira found Euder’s name on a list of people who had been deported to El Salvador, so far she has not had access to him or a lawyer. The uncertainty about his situation and the lack of communication has left Eira in a state of anguish as she awaits answers about the fate of her partner and father of her children.

On August 8, 2023, Gustavo and his wife left Venezuela. During their journey, they faced the difficult passage through the Darien jungle and later arrived in Mexico, where they spent four months waiting for an appointment for CBP1 processing. Finally, on December 17, 2023, they entered Dallas, Texas, where they were received by Gustavo’s father-in-law, who had been in the United States for ten years. With his help, they managed to rent an apartment and Gustavo started working at a fast food restaurant, as well as installing fire alarm systems, working Monday through Thursday, while on weekends he did additional work.

On June 26, 2024, his baby was born, and the family situation seemed stable. However, on February 4, 2025, while he was fixing his car, he was approached by an ICE agent, who showed him a photo and asked him if he knew the person in question. Gustavo denied knowing her, but was questioned about her place of residence and taken to her apartment for a search. During this visit, he was asked for documents, which he presented, including his work permit and the status of his immigration proceedings.

Despite demonstrating his legal status, he was asked to take off his jacket, when he took off his jacket, the agents saw that Gustavo had tattoos, upon seeing them, the agent decided that he should be detained for investigation, without offering an explicit reason for his arrest. After two days in detention (although he was assured that it was only a procedure and he would only be interrogated and did not need a lawyer), his wife decided to find him a lawyer, and although the lawyer showed up to defend him, he was informed that at that moment he did not have the right to a defense, since he was only under investigation, without charges or formal proceedings against him. It should be noted that the attorney was contacted approximately two days after his arrest, and during the time Gustavo remained in Dallas, he was able to communicate daily with his legal representative, who informed him that there were others in a similar situation due to his tattoos.

Subsequently, Gustavo was transferred to a detention center located four hours from Dallas, where he remained for a full month. In one of his calls, he mentioned that if he was unable to communicate again, it was because he would be transferred to another place. There was a period of six days in which his family did not receive any news, until he contacted his mother again, informing her that was at the Rio Grande Detention Center, where he was informed that they were being transported by plane. During his detention, Gustavo never had access to a hearing before a judge or legal representation, which goes against his right to due process.

On March 14, 2025, Gustavo called his mother to inform her that they would be deported to Venezuela and that they had to sign the deportation order. Despite the difficult situation, his mother indicated that he seemed surprisingly calm. The next day, his mother was attentive to the news regarding flights arriving in Venezuela with deportees. However, the next day, she woke up to learn that other planes were arriving to El Salvador with people linked to gangs, she was very confused and distressed as she had not heard anything from Gustavo since Friday, March 14 when they last spoke and never imagined that he could be among that group deported to El Salvador. However, on March 19, a relative sent her a list published in the media, and it was there where she saw her son’s name, thus confirming his detention and deportation to a third country. So far, after almost a month, his mother has not been able to communicate with him again, she has no information on how he is doing, if he has had access to a lawyer, if he is in good health, etc.

After five years in Peru, they decided to go to the United States because Kenlyn’s mother, Yamileth, was diagnosed with cancer and they needed more money. Kenlyn traveled with his brother through the Darién. They entered Mexico in March 2023 and arrived in Matamoros. There, they requested an appointment with the CPB1 and, after waiting a month without a response, they were hit by a severe storm on April 26 that destroyed their tent in the camp, prompting them to turn themselves in to immigration authorities for help. They were detained for three days but were then allowed to enter and left on April 29, 2023, with an appointment to appear in immigration court in a year and a half.

They moved to Washington state, where Kenlyn began working as a rental car driver and making deliveries. He was in the process of obtaining his TPS, although he did not yet have it.

A year and a half passed, and when he was due to appear in immigration court, he was informed that his appointment had been postponed until further notice, which took place on November 5, 2024.

On January 13, 2025, he was detained in New York while working as a mechanic. While stopped on the road, ICE agents arrested him while he was talking on the phone. His wife became concerned when she did not hear from him for a day. She searched for him on the immigration app and discovered that he was being held at a processing center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He remained there for 46 days, communicating with his wife and mother.

At first, Kenlyn had difficulty understanding what they were saying to him, as they only spoke to him in English, without translation. He was informed that he would not be assigned a lawyer and that he had to find one on his own, even though the fees were very high. Although it appears that he had a hearing, he did not have a lawyer and did not understand what was happening. At the second hearing, he learned that he was accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang. He was told that he could find a lawyer to fight his case and that, if he could not pay, he should sign up for a list to obtain free legal assistance. The other option he was offered was to sign a self-deportation form. Kenlyn decided to request deportation because he did not have the resources to pay for a lawyer, but he was never given the real option to sign the deportation form, even though he asked for it. The judge informed him that his deportation request had been approved and that he would be deported to his country. After 46 days, he was transferred to Texas, to the Valley, where he remained for about 10 days.

On Thursday, March 13, he called his family to inform them that they were going to be deported and that the planes were already ready. However, they were not deported that day due to bad weather. That night, Kenlyn informed them that they would be leaving on Saturday and would be deported to Venezuela, asking his family to be on the lookout in Caracas. From that moment on, they never heard from him again. Later, they learned from the news that he had been deported to El Salvador, and days later, while reviewing a published list, they found his name among those who had been deported.

The government then began to attack his wife, who was the victim of a robbery by the Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps (CICPC). They persecuted them, and he tried to stay out of it, staying away from the governor’s office, but they continued to extort and persecute them. His eldest son, Kevin Johan Nieto, enjoyed going out with his friends, and they began to threaten to “plant drugs” on him.

When their second son graduated from college in the United States, Kevin Sr. traveled to accompany him to the celebration. During those 10 days, his wife told him that criminal investigators had discovered that he was away and were prowling around the house. They even entered the house arbitrarily and took a computer he had at home for “investigations.” As a result, his wife decided to go to the United States as well on a tourist visa, and they stayed there permanently in 2019 . In December 2019, Kevin Sr. applied for asylum but he was called to an appointment and then sent to court for not presenting enough evidence.

Two years later, Kevin Sr. and his wife sent for their son Kevin Jr.  and he entered the US on June 10, 2021, on a tourist visa . He has always been a party boy and likes women; he is “in love” and attractive, which girls love. He applied for asylum and the facts of his application are linked to his father’s because he also suffered persecution as a result (the entire family did),

Kevin bought a car and worked at DoorDash. In 2023, some guys approached him and became friends. At some point, they called him and said, “We’re going to help someone who had an accident and we’re going to look for a tire.” Kevin went with one of the guys, accompanied by another friend. It was a pretty remote place, between Denver and another county in Douglas. When they arrived, some men got out, approached Kevin and the guy who invited Kevin and his friend to join (his father believes this “guy” belongs to Tren de Aragua and that Kevin and friend were taken there “under false pretenses”). The other boy ran away, didn’t stop, and they chased him, but they never caught him. They left Kevin and the other boy behind, scared. However, the other boy (TDA) took the car to another state.

At midnight, Kevin’s father received a call that woke him up. When he answered, it was Kevin, who said, “Dad, I need you to bring me the car title because there’s a police car here and they stopped me; they need to see the car papers.” His father told him he would pick him up and asked for an address, but Kevin replied that a friend would pick him up. He waited, but Kevin did not call back.

When Kevin Sr. called back, someone answered and said he had only borrowed the phone, trying to pass himself off as Mexican.  Kevin Sr. noticed that something was strange. At 6:30 a.m., a friend of Rubio Táchira arrived, whom the boy who ran away knew, and told him that they had gone out to look for Kevin in different counties. The report was filed in Douglas County. At around 2:30 PM, someone called to say that Kevin Jr was with them. Kevin Sr heard Kevin Jr. scream, “Help me!” but they took the phone away from him. The man told him he had to pay money to get Kevin Jr. back. Kevin Sr. didn’t know what to do. He lived in Aurora and traveled to Douglas County. They called him again and asked for $2,000. Kevin Sr. went to file a police report, and they were surprised because this had never happened there before. Kevin Sr. explained everything, and the police began the operation. The police then called a Venezuelan police officer to try to persuade the kidnappers, who claimed to be from the Aragua train. They did not know if they were saying this to scare them or if it was really true. . The kidnappers and the car thief were captured, and the latter pleaded guilty.

Kevin Jr. did not apply for TPS because his paralegal told him that, due to his application for the T Visa, he did not need it; he argued that his situation was already a fact because he had been a victim of human trafficking . By not applying for TPS, he was left unprotected in the middle of that process. Kevin used drugs (they found out here in the U.S.), and it was suspected that it was cocaine. He had an obsessive, jealous, and aggressive partner, and they told Kevin that they couldn’t do that to him: “Kevin’s problem is that he’s very much in love.”

At a nightclub in Colorado, ‘where the girls dance,’ a fight broke out. Kevin wasn’t fighting, but the police arrived, turned on their lights, and the police found three grams of “something” that his father believes was cocaine. The report indicated “prohibited substance.” Kevin Jr. was arrested, his bail was paid, and he went to trial, where he was defended by a public defender. The public defender informed Kevin Jr that since this  was his first offense, that it would not be a big deal, and that it would not affect his application for TPS or asylum.

They went to court, and at the last hearing, he was told that if he did not plead guilty, he would have to go to trial and remain in detention; the trial would last two years. Kevin Jr. decided to plead guilty, at his lawyer’s suggestion. Thus, he was placed on probation.

Kevin Jr. was then arrested by immigration at his home, according to his girlfriend. According to his family’s testimony, Kevin Jr. told them that the judge asked him why he was there and told him that he was in the country illegally. Kevin Jr. replied that he was not illegal because he had applied for asylum. The judge explained that he would refer him to the asylum judge, but he remained in detention.

By phone, they coordinated the submission of evidence and alternatives in case his asylum application was not granted. They suggested that he request deportation to Colombia (he has Colombian citizenship) and, in the worst case, to Venezuela.

In the system, he disappeared from the Aurora detention center, where he was listed as “released.” His girlfriend tried to send him money and recharge his account. Two days later, he showed up in Texas, and they were able to communicate. He told them that he had been taken away in the early morning and put on a bus, claiming that they were taking them to Venezuela. However, he never contacted them again; they never imagined that he would be taken to El Salvador, they only found out when they read the list.

After his deportation, Lainerke returned to Mexico City, a process that took him more than a week. There he continued to work and reapplied for an immigration appointment, which was granted on October 3, 2024. It is important to note that his wife, who had managed to enter the United States, was pregnant at the time. However, when Lainerke attended his appointment in San Diego, California, he was detained by immigration authorities.

During detention, Lainerke informed his family that the reason for his arrest was that he had been previously deported, and they were requesting additional documentation, including a criminal record and the birth certificate of his daughter, who was born days after his appointment, on October 9, 2024. Lainerke was subsequently transferred to a detention center in Arizona, where he was held for approximately 15 days before being transferred to Texas.

On Friday, March 14, 2025, Lainerke contacted his father to let him know that he was going to be deported, expressing his exhaustion and the possibility that his deportation would be to Mexico or Venezuela, as he had been informed by immigration personnel. The call occurred around 8:00 PM, and from that moment on, his family had no further news of him. Two days later, his family saw news related to deportations, although they did not immediately follow up with because they did not make the connection between Lainerke and El Salvador, let alone gangs. However, on Monday, the concern increased when they noticed that the news alerted that the deportations were mostly of Venezuelans, which generated a climate of anguish in his family environment.

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Lainerke’s wife contacted the detention center in Texas, where she was informed that he had not been in the country for three days. This information led his family to assume that Lainerke had been transferred to El Salvador. Subsequently, lists of names of deportees began to circulate on social networks, and on Wednesday, March 19 or Thursday, March 20, Lainerke’s name was confirmed on the lists. Since then they have had no contact of any kind with him, no news, they do not know how he is, or if he has had access to any lawyer.

Leonel undertook a risky journey through the Darien. Although he was awaiting an appointment with CBP1, his sister, who is in Colombia, doesn’t know whether he requested the appointment or voluntarily turned himself in to immigration authorities. He was detained for approximately one week and, in early December 2023, he managed to contact his family and tell them that he had arrived in the United States and that everything had gone well; the last information they had was that he was in Dallas, in the process of applying for asylum and with a hearing scheduled for 2026.

While in the United States, Leonel began working in a supermarket and appeared for his scheduled court hearings, first in December 2023 and then in March 2024.

On March 13, 2025, the situation became critical when ICE agents made an arrest at his sister, Carolina’s home. At the time, Leonel, who works in an aluminum factory at night, had just come home from work and was about to go to sleep. ICE agents went to the home looking for her cousin, Daniel Enrique Paz Gonzalez, who had a deportation order. However, after mistaking her brother for her cousin, the agents also proceeded to arrest him. In addition to Leonel, a friend who resided with them, Johan Fernandez, was also detained.

During the events of the detention, Leonel managed to make a video call to his mother, where he told her: “I am in trouble, ICE says they are going to take me because they think I belong to Tren de Aragua because of the tattoos I have.” Leonel has three tattoos, but it must be highlighted that Tren de Aragua members do not use tattoos as defining symbols of membership, therefore, tattoos are in no way reliable indicators of membership. The video call was abruptly interrupted when one of the ICE agents grabbed Leonel’s arm, and before hanging up, Leonel sent one last audio message indicating that ICE would take them away and that he would leave his phone with another cousin so that the family would be kept informed. Since then, they have had no further contact.

On March 18, 2025, the family attempted to search for information on Leonel through his number in the system. However, no records were available, leading the family to assume that they had possibly been transferred to El Salvador. Between March 13 and 18, they did not receive any communication from Leonel or the other detainees.

Later, a sister of his cousin contacted the authorities to inquire about them and was informed that they were not in U.S. territory and had been removed, denying her any further information about their whereabouts. The last update the family received was on March 15, indicating that they had been removed from the country.

On Thursday, March 20, the family identified the names of Leonel, his cousin Daniel and his friend Johan in a list published in the media, confirming their deportation to El Salvador.

His mother began to suffer from breast cancer, and he decided to accompany her to Ecuador to help her and provide her with access to medicine. In 2022, his mother’s cancer returned and she underwent surgery. Due to the high costs, Marcos decided to go to the United States to earn more money and help his mother with her medication. He traveled through the Darién, leaving his wife, son, and mother in Ecuador.

He arrived in Mexico City, where he was kidnapped for five days and had to pay a ransom of $3,000. He then turned himself in to the authorities and spent three days in a detention center. He contacted his mother and informed her that he was being treated well, that he had food and clothes, and that migrants were receiving sufficient assistance. They also bought him a plane ticket to Orlando, Florida, through a humanitarian organization. Since 2022, Marcos has been living in Orlando.

The first thing he did was wash cars, which allowed him to earn some money to buy clothes. His son was hospitalized for eight days with pneumonia but recovered. Marcos found work at a pizzeria for a year and then at the Paris bakery, where he worked for about eight months.

He applied for TPS and was approved, which granted him a work permit. He also applied for asylum and had his hearing scheduled for 2027. Although he appeared at the hearings, they were postponed. He had a device that allowed him to take a photo and send it to immigration every Tuesday.

On March 12, 2025, at 3 p.m., ICE agents arrived at the bakery and called him by name, asking him to raise his arms. They handcuffed him and took him away, identifying themselves as ICE agents. Marcos did not speak English well, and the agents communicated with him in that language. He called the woman who rented him his home and informed her that he had been arrested by ICE, asking her to pick up his car. He did not call back for two days, which caused concern for his mother and wife. His wife contacted Mrs. Marisela, the landlord, who confirmed that immigration had taken Marcos, but she did not want to disclose this information earlier hoping that he would be released, given the mother’s frail health condition. Marcos’ wife began searching for information in the system and discovered that he had been transferred from Miami to La Villa, Texas (East Hidalgo Detention Center). Initially, he appeared in the registry, but then no further information about him could be found. They tried to call, but no one answered.

They assumed he might be deported to Venezuela. On Tuesday, March 17, a list of names of people in El Salvador appeared, and they found Marcos’ name on it. They went to the embassy to ask for help, but they were told that they had no information about him.

They were told to go to the ICE office in San Antonio to ask for information about his whereabouts.

The journey through the Darien took approximately four months, after which they arrived in Mexico. In Mexico, Wild managed to establish a small barber shop business, taking advantage of his skills as a barber and tattoo artist. In December 2024, he received notification of an appointment for CBP1 processing; the call to his sister was made on December 25, instructing him to raise $1,500 for the tickets to take them to Texas. After raising the necessary funds, Wild purchased the tickets and the trip to Texas took place on December 28, 2024.

Upon arrival, they stayed at the home of a benefactor who provided them with temporary support until January 2, when they were to report to the immigration authorities. The following day, his wife and youngest daughter were released, but Wild was detained on the allegation that his tattoos were related to his alleged membership in the Tren de Aragua.

Wild was arrested during his CBP1 appointment on January 2, 2025. He was taken to Valle City Facility. His wife visited him only once; the second time she came, they did not allow her to visit him. Wild was screened and passed a credible fear interview and had hearing dates that have been postponed, the most recent hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2025.

On March 2, 2025, Wild was serving two months in detention in Texas. He was subsequently transferred to a detention center in Villa City, a high-security prison, where his wife was only able to visit him once. During the visit, she noticed that Wild had lost a lot of weight and was having difficulty eating.

On March 14, 2025, Wild’s wife contacted his sister in a state of distress, informing her that he was being deported. On two occasions during that same day, Wild spoke to his wife. In these conversations, he mentioned to her that his clothes had been returned to him, as well as his tattoo and shaving machine, along with documents indicating that he would be deported to Venezuela. A wife of another detainee also contacted her to inform her that her husband had been put on a plane around 1:40 AM.

Wild was screened and passed a credible fear interview and was scheduled for a hearing related to his asylum process on March 4, 2025, which was later rescheduled for March 18, and then May 3. Even though he was deported, the system continues to reschedule the hearings. The cause of his detention was attributed to his suspected membership in criminal groups, specifically Tren de Aragua, due to his tattoos, although his tattoos were due to the fact that he is a tattoo artist and has been tattooing himself for a long time. 

The Sunday after his arrest, his wife and family had no news about Wild. On Tuesday, she began to see posts on social media and questions arose about the possibility that he had been deported to El Salvador. That week, on Tuesday or Wednesday, they spotted Wild’s name on a publicly circulated list, confirming their fears about deportation.

They have not heard from Wild since.