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 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.

Angelo and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Angelo’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

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. However, at his third appointment, in June 2024, 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.

After five days, he was transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, where his communication became limited. Despite requests for bond and parole, all were denied. 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 180 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 25 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 recognized him in 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. 

Edicson and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Edicson’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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 7, 2025, Euder had his latest hearing. On January 17, he was notified of the judge’s decision—a deportation order and denial of his asylum claim, due to being mislabeled as a member of Tren de Aragua. 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.

Euder and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Euder‘s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

Gustavo and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Gustavo’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

Kenlyn and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Kenlyn‘s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

Lainerke and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Lainerke’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

Leonel and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Leonel‘s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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, Marco 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, Marco 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. Marco 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. Marco 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 Marco, but she did not want to disclose this information earlier hoping that he would be released, given the mother’s frail health condition. Marco’s 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 Marco’s 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.

Marco and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Marco’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

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.

Wild and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Wild’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

On December 10, 204,  when Carlos arrived for his appointment, ICE automatically detained him due to his non-criminally-affiliated tattoos, a fact admitted to by the ICE agents that arrested him. Carlos has 14-15 tattoos. None of his tattoos are associated with criminal activity. They are all references to his family: names, dates, a silhouette of his daughter, and others.

Two days later, on December 12, 2024, Carlos was finally given his right to a phone call, which he used to call his wife. On that call, he told her about his arrest. He also relayed the information ICE had given him about his detention. ICE told Carlos he would only be detained for a few hours while they investigated his tattoos but he was then transferred to El Valle Detention Facility in Texas. At that detention center, he was informed that he needed to wait for a deportation agent or judge to determine whether he would be able to enter the US or be deported to Venezuela.

In January 2025, Carlos was told he had passed the credible fear interview. He was entered into the immigration court system on February 3, 2025. Nine days later, on February 12, 2025, Carlos had his first immigration hearing. At the hearing, the judge gave him a form to submit on February 26, 2025, the date of his next hearing.

During the weeks between the hearings, Carlos frequently spoke to his wife. On the calls, he told his wife that he was tired of being detained and under a lot of psychological stress. Carlos also asked for money to continue making phone calls and to supplement the minimal amount of food he received.

Given the situation, Carlos and his wife decided that he would request his voluntary departure to Venezuela at the hearing on February 26, 2025. At the hearing, the judge issued the deportation order and told Carlos that he would be on the next flight to Venezuela.

On March 14, 2025 Carlos called his wife to tell her that he was included on a list of individuals who were taken to that detention center and would be deported to Venezuela. Carlos was told to gather his belongings as they were going to transfer him. Three hours later, he called his wife again to say they had returned him to his prior detention center because the transfer would happen over the following two days. On March 15 at 8:30am, Carlos again called his wife. He told her that they were going to transfer him to Venezuela that afternoon. 

His wife has not spoken to Carlos since the call on March 15. His wife only learned that Carlos was in El Salvador from a video posted by President Bukele on March 16, 2025 in which she identified Carlos. Later, she saw his name in one of the lists published by the media. 

Carlos has no criminal record in either Venezuela or the United States. Nobody in his family knew anything about Carlos and his status. They called the detention center where he was held, but they were unable to give them any other information. 

Carlos and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Carlos’ release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.

Keiber and his family spent 20 days traveling to Peru. They settled there until 2023 when they decided to go to the United States in search of better opportunities. Keiber left Peru in August 2023, arriving in the U.S. in September 2023. He arrived through the Port of Brownsville, Texas. He was captured by immigration authorities and held for about two months at the Brownsville Immigration Detention Center. 

Keiber applied for asylum. He passed the credible fear test and was granted authorization to enter. He first went to Las Vegas, Nevada before moving to Houson, Texas, where his older brother and parents were living. They lived together as a family in Houston for eight months before Keiber was detained.

On January 13, 2025, Keiber was arrested at a gas station in New Jersey when he was visiting his girlfriend. His arrest was part of an ICE and FBI operation where the police officers captured all people in the surrounding area. He was transferred to a detention center in Pennsylvania despite no charges presented against him.

Keiber was in frequent contact with his family. He became very desperate and told his family that he would sign the voluntary deportation papers. A few days later, a judge approved his deportation order and kept him in custody.

On March 8, 2025, Keiber called his family to tell them that he was going to be transferred to Venezuela. On March 10, he called again to say that he had been put on a plane bound for Venezuela but they took him off because the plane did not pass inspection. That call was the last contact he had with his family.

His family learned from the news and social media that three planes had been sent from the U.S. to El Salvador with Venezuelan migrants. His father checked the list that had circulated on social media and saw that his son was number 95 on that list.

Keiber’s father has not filed a complaint in the U.S. for fear of his own deportation even though he entered through asylum and has a work permit.

Keiber’s family stresses that their son is not a criminal. His arrest was due to his tattoos, which he has on his arms and legs. Keiber has liked tattoos since his adolescent years. His tattoos are artistic and representative of things he likes, such as the Joker and the names of his mother and girlfriend, among others.

Keiber’s family did not receive any information from any authority, neither from El Salvador nor the US, about his situation.

Keiber and more than 250 Venezuelans were released on Friday, July 18, 2025, after having been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March, which claimed—without providing meaningful evidence—that they were gang members. Keiber’s release came as part of a prisoner swap, in which Venezuela and the United States agreed to free 10 detained American citizens and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. In return, the Venezuelans held in El Salvador were flown to Caracas, carrying with them harrowing accounts of torture and mistreatment.