Venezuelan Mother Discovers Son Among Deported Gang Members in El Salvador Prison
- Victor Nwoko
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
A Venezuelan mother was shocked to discover that her son was among more than 100 individuals deported to a notorious El Salvadoran prison as part of a recent U.S. crackdown on gang activity.
Myrelis Casique López had been expecting her 24-year-old son, Francisco Jose Garcia Casique, to be deported to Caracas after being found to be living in the United States illegally. However, instead of reuniting with him, she saw his image on television among suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang, detained at El Salvador’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center.
The Tren de Aragua gang has been linked to crimes such as kidnapping, extortion, and contract killings. The group became widely known following an incident in August when its members were filmed storming an apartment near Denver. Casique's son was identified in images showing detainees wearing white prison uniforms, shackled, and seated in formation.
Casique and her other son, Sebastian, examined the footage and confirmed Francisco’s identity, recognizing his tattooed arm and physical features. Casique has since turned to social media, maintaining that her son was wrongfully detained and is not affiliated with the gang. She insists that his tattoos, which include rose imagery and family names, led U.S. authorities to mistakenly categorize him as a member of Tren de Aragua.
According to officials, the gang members were identified through surveillance, police encounters, and testimonies from victims. The Trump administration, which enacted the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, has defended the operation, stating that the gang poses a significant threat to U.S. national security. The administration asserts that Tren de Aragua is linked to the Venezuelan government and has engaged in organized criminal activities within the U.S.
Garcia’s background indicates that he left Venezuela in 2019, initially settling in Peru before entering the U.S. illegally in 2023. He was detained at the border for two months before being released with an electronic monitoring device. He later worked as a barber in Texas but was taken into custody on February 6, 2024, following the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on illegal immigration and gang-related activity.
Casique is not alone in her claims. Another mother, whose son Mervin Yamarte was among those deported, also insists on her child’s innocence. She described how Yamarte, a factory worker in Texas, had no gang affiliations and was merely trying to build a better life.
Under Trump’s directive, Venezuelan nationals deemed to be Tren de Aragua members and lacking legal status in the U.S. are subject to immediate removal. The administration argues that the gang has engaged in "irregular warfare" against the U.S. and is a direct threat to national security.
However, the deportation order faced legal challenges. A judge had initially blocked the use of the wartime law, instructing that deportees already in international airspace be returned to the U.S. However, since this directive was not included in the final written order, the administration proceeded with the removals.
Upon the prisoners’ arrival in El Salvador, Trump praised President Nayib Bukele for accepting them and criticized the Biden administration for allowing them into the U.S. in the first place. He reiterated that these individuals were dangerous criminals and that their removal was necessary to protect American citizens.
Among those deported, 137 were identified as suspected Tren de Aragua members, while others included Salvadoran MS-13 gang members. The detainees are now held under strict conditions, confined in overcrowded cells with minimal access to food, medical care, or basic hygiene. The prison is heavily guarded, with constant surveillance and no access to visitors or outdoor areas.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about the conditions within the facility, warning that detainees face a "black hole of human rights violations," including extreme overcrowding, disease, and systematic mistreatment. Despite these concerns, the Trump administration remains firm in its stance, insisting that the deportations were necessary to safeguard U.S. security.
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