‘Deported due to his tattoos’: has the US focused Venezuelans for his or her physique artwork? | US immigration

Like many Venezuelans of his era, Franco José Caraballo Tiapa is a person of many tattoos.

There’s one in every of a rose, one in every of a lion, and one other – on the left aspect of the 26-year-old’s neck – of a razor blade that represents his work as a barber.

Two different tattoos pay tribute to Caraballo’s eldest daughter, Shalome: a pocket watch that includes the time of her delivery and a few black lettering on his chest that spells out the four-year-old’s identify.

“He’s only a regular child … he likes tattoos – that’s it,” mentioned Martin Rosenow, a Florida-based lawyer who represents the Venezuelan asylum seeker – one in every of scores shipped to El Salvador by the Trump administration final weekend as a part of his hard-line immigration crackdown.

Caraballo’s fondness for physique artwork could have been his undoing. For when the daddy of two was detained by US immigration officers in Dallas final month, they seem to have taken these tattoos as proof that he was a member of Venezuela’s most infamous gang, Tren de Aragua.

An official Division of Homeland Safety doc issued in early February and reviewed by the Guardian states: “[The] topic [Caraballo] has been recognized as a Member/Lively of Tren de Aragua” though it doesn’t clarify how brokers reached that conclusion. The identical doc notes that Caraballo – who it calls a “Deportable/Excludable Alien” – has a number of tattoos and no recognized legal historical past “right now”.

Rosenow rejected the concept that the photographs inked on to his consumer’s pores and skin indicated gang membership. “It’s specious – there’s no foundation [for this conclusion],” he mentioned. “Consultants in Venezuela who examine the gang have all acknowledged that there are not any tattoos that affiliate gang members. It’s not just like the Central American MS-13 gang the place tattoos are related of their group.”

“Tren de Agua has no [specific] tattoos,” Rosenow continued. “In case you see footage [of actual Tren de Aragua members arrested in the US], they’re shirtless and lots of of them don’t even have tattoos.

“I’m nauseated by all of it. I’m distressed for these people. I’m unhappy for what this implies. As an American, for me it’s disgraceful that we’d violate human rights so flagrantly on a global degree.”

Caraballo, who hails from the Venezuelan state of Bolívar and entered the US over its southern border in October 2023, is one in every of a number of Venezuelans whom immigration officers seem to have recognized as gang members based mostly on little greater than their nationality and their tattoos.

Daniel Alberto Lozano Camargo

Daniel Alberto Lozano Camargo, a 20-year-old asylum seeker from Maracaibo in western Venezuela, lived in Houston, Texas the place he washed vehicles for a residing, promoting his companies on Fb.

His accomplice, a US citizen known as Leslie Aranda, mentioned he was arrested final November after being contacted by a supposed consumer. She has not heard from him since final Friday, when Donald Trump invoked sweeping wartime powers known as the Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals thought of a menace, similar to members of Tren de Aragua, which was final month designated a international terrorist group.

Like different Venezuelans now detained and prone to deportation, Lozano has a number of tattoos, mentioned Aranda, 25. He has the identify of his accomplice’s daughter, Danessy, on one arm. A rose. The identify of his niece, Eurimar, with a crown over the letter E. Praying fingers on his neck. His father’s identify, Adalberto, and his initials. Lozano additionally has the date of his anniversary with Aranda: 19 January 2023. One other tattoo reads “King of Myself.”

“I do know his father’s identify is critical to him as a result of he died when Daniel was younger. And I additionally know he didn’t actually just like the rose tattoo as a result of a good friend who was practising did it. Daniel loves artwork and tattoos – that’s why he has them,” Aranda mentioned.

Lozano’s mom, Daniela, who can be within the US, mentioned: “They violated his human rights – it’s an injustice. He doesn’t belong to any gang.”

Neri José Alvarado Borges

The sister of Neri José Alvarado Borges, one other Venezuelan deported to El Salvador, mentioned the 24-year-old additionally had tattoos that relations suspect could have led to him being ​wrongly recognized as a legal.

​One says “Household”, one other says “Brothers” and a 3rd, on his left thigh, options the identify of his youthful brother, Neryelson, who’s autistic, and the rainbow-colored​ infinity image of the autism acceptance motion.

“None of those tattoos has something in any respect to do with the Tren de Aragua,” mentioned his sister, Lisbengerth Montilla, 20. “However for them [immigration authorities] anybody with a tattoo is related to Tren de Aragua.”

Montilla mentioned her brother was no gangster. In reality, he was a psychology​ pupil who had been pressured to desert his research and migrate to the US 9 months in the past due to Venezuela’s financial collapse.

After trekking by the perilous Darién Hole jungle and getting into the US, Alvarado, who has no legal historical past, constructed a life in Dallas the place he labored in a bakery.

“Many people have come right here due to the state of affairs again in our nation,” mentioned Montilla, who additionally lives within the US. “There have been instances after we didn’t even have meals to eat or have the cash to purchase something. Many individuals fled due to the dictatorship in Venezuela, looking for a greater future.

​“Not all of these individuals [deported to El Salvador] are criminals – and never all Venezuelans are unhealthy individuals. We’re from an honest, hard-working and upstanding household. We’ve by no means had issues with anyone.”

Luis Carlos José Marcano Silva

Luis Carlos José Marcano Silva, a 26-year-old barber from the Venezuelan island of Margarita, was detained at an immigration listening to in Miami final month. His tattoos additionally seemingly performed a task in his detention and deportation to El Salvador.

One, on Marcano’s stomach, reveals the face of Jesus of Nazareth. One other, on his arm, reveals an infinity image whereas a 3rd options the identify of his daughter, Adelys. His chest is emblazoned with the picture of a crown.

“[At the hearing] all they stored telling him was that he belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang. When his spouse contacted the lawyer, they mentioned it was in all probability due to his tattoos,” mentioned Marcano’s mom, Adelys del Valle Silva Ortega, denying that her son has any hyperlinks to the crime group or perhaps a legal file.

“I really feel annoyed, determined. I think about they don’t seem to be treating him properly. I’ve already seen movies of that jail,” Silva mentioned of the infamous Salvadoran “anti-terrorism” jail the place her son is now regarded as incarcerated. “I consider him each second, praying to the Virgin of the Valley [a Venezuelan patron saint] to guard him.”

Jerce Reyes Barrios

The lawyer for a fifth Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador, a former skilled footballer known as Jerce Reyes Barrios, 36, has additionally claimed his tattoos performed a task in sealing his destiny.

Reyes’s tattoos embody one in every of a crown sitting atop a soccer ball with a rosary and the phrase “Dios” (God). In a sworn declaration, his California-based lawyer, Linette Tobin, mentioned the Division of Homeland Safety had alleged this tattoo was proof of gang membership.

“In actuality, he selected this tattoo as a result of it’s much like the brand for his favorite soccer group, Actual Madrid,” Tobin mentioned in her assertion on Wednesday.

Tobin rejected the concept that her consumer was a gang member and mentioned he had fled Venezuela in early 2024 after being detained at an anti-government demonstration by safety forces. Reyes was subsequently “taken to a clandestine constructing the place he was tortured” with electrical shocks and suffocation.

Tobin mentioned US immigration officers had reviewed her consumer’s social media posts and located one through which he made “a hand gesture that they allege is proof of gang membership”.

“In reality, the gesture is a typical one meaning I Love You in signal language and is often used as a rock’n’roll image,” Tobin mentioned.

Francisco Javier García Casique

Sebastián García Casique, the brother of a sixth Venezuelan deported to El Salvador, mentioned his sibling, Francisco Javier García Casique, additionally had tattoos, together with of a rose, a compass and a phrase studying: “God chooses his hardest battles for his finest warriors.”

A fourth tattoo says: “Vivir el momento” (Stay within the Second). A fifth says in English: “Household”.

In September 2021 García posted an Instagram video of a tattoo of a timepiece being inked on to his proper arm by an artist in Peru, the place he then lived. “My tattoo in tribute to my two grandmas who I like and miss lots,” García wrote.

Anyelo Sarabia González

In a sworn declaration, the sister of Anyelo Sarabia González, Solanyer Michell Sarabia González, mentioned her 19-year-old brother had been detained by immigration brokers firstly of this 12 months in Dallas and that these brokers had requested “a couple of tattoo that’s seen on his hand” exhibiting a rose with cash as its petals.

“He had that tattoo performed … as a result of he thought it seemed cool,” González’s sister mentioned, including that she believed her brother had been despatched to El Salvador “underneath the false pretence that he was a member of Tren de Aragua”.

“The tattoo has no that means or connection to any gang,” mentioned González, 25. Two different tattoos on her brother’s physique – of the phrases “energy and braveness” and “I can do all issues by Christ who strengthens me” – have been additionally not gang-related, she mentioned.

Franco José Caraballo Tiapa

Rosenow additionally noticed no indication that his consumer – who he mentioned had sought asylum on the premise of political persecution after collaborating in opposition protests – was concerned within the Venezuelan gang. He mentioned Caraballo’s “tacky” and romantic Instagram posts indicated he was not “a vicious gang member”.

A Venezuelan legal background verify issued earlier this month signifies Caraballo has no legal file there. Francisco Javier García Casique’s household has additionally printed proof that he had no legal file again dwelling.

The White Home has described the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador as “heinous monsters” and terrorists however has but to launch detailed details about their identities, not to mention their alleged crimes.

On Thursday afternoon CBS Information printed an inner authorities checklist of the 238 Venezuelan deportees, which included the names of the entire males on this story.

On Monday, a senior official from immigration and customs enforcement, Robert Serna, admitted that “many” of these faraway from the US underneath the Alien Enemy Act didn’t have legal information within the US, however he nonetheless mentioned they have been Tren de Aragua members.

The truth that these individuals didn’t have a legal file “is as a result of they’ve solely been within the nation for a brief time frame”, Serna mentioned.