Venezuelan Mother Identifies Son in US Deportation Footage

Several Venezuelan families are distressed after their loved ones were deported from the US to El Salvador, suspected of gang affiliations with the Tren de Aragua, despite lacking evidence of criminal involvement. Myrelis Casique López was particularly shocked to see her son, Francisco José García Casique, in a televised report from El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison, where he was detained along with 237 other Venezuelans. Many of the deportees, who had no known criminal records, were allegedly identified as gang members due to their tattoos, a common but misleading indicator of gang affiliation. The deportations were executed under a directive by the Trump administration, citing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, with claims that the gang posed an 'invasion' threat to the US. Families and legal experts argue that the deportations were unjust, highlighting that tattoos alone do not substantiate gang involvement, and emphasize that many detainees were arrested without due process. Legal challenges against the deportation have been initiated, but efforts to prevent the transfer were unsuccessful.