'It's him, it's him!' - Venezuelan mother spots deported son in mega-prison footage

In a mediocre neighbourhood of the Venezuelan metropolis of Maracay, the parent of 24-year-old Francisco José García Casique was waiting for him connected Saturday.

It had been 18 months since helium had migrated to the US to statesman a caller beingness but helium had told her that helium was present being deported backmost to Caracas, Venezuela's capital, for being successful the US illegally. They had spoken that morning, conscionable earlier helium was owed to depart.

"I thought it was a bully motion that helium was being deported [to Caracas]," Myrelis Casique López recalled. She had missed her lad profoundly since helium near home.

But helium ne'er arrived. And portion watching a tv quality study connected Sunday, Ms Casique was shocked to spot her son, not successful the US oregon Venezuela but 1,430 miles (2,300km) distant successful El Salvador.

The footage showed 238 Venezuelans sent by US authorities to the Terrorism Confinement Centre, oregon Cecot, a notorious mega-jail. She saw men with shaved heads and shackles connected their hands and feet, being forcefully escorted by heavily-armed information forces.

Ms Casique told the BBC she was definite her lad was among the detainees.

"It's him. It's him," she said, gesturing astatine a representation successful which helium is seated, with his caput bowed, connected a situation floor, a tattoo disposable connected his arm. "I recognise his features."

While an authoritative database of names is yet to beryllium released, the household is convinced that Mr García was among the Venezuelans deported to the Salvadoran supermax prison, adjacent arsenic a US justice blocked the removals. They besides support helium is innocent.

The Trump medication says each of the deportees are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which has recovered itself successful the White House's crosshairs. The almighty multi-national transgression group, which Trump precocious declared a overseas violent organisation, has been accused of enactment trafficking, cause smuggling and murders some astatine location and successful large US cities.

US migration officials person said the detainees were "carefully vetted" and verified arsenic pack members earlier being flown to El Salvador. They said they utilized grounds collected during surveillance, constabulary encounters oregon testimonies from victims to vet them.

"Our occupation is to nonstop the terrorists retired earlier anyone other gets raped oregon murdered," Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said connected Wednesday.

Many of the deportees bash not person US transgression records, however, an migration authoritative acknowledged successful tribunal documents.

Those who bash person transgression records see migrants with arrests connected charges ranging from murder, fentanyl trafficking and kidnapping to location penetration and operating a gang-run brothel, according to the Trump administration.

In Mr García's case, his parent disputes that her lad was progressive successful transgression activity. He near Venezuela successful 2019, archetypal to Peru, seeking caller opportunities arsenic overlapping economic, governmental and societal crises engulfed the country, she said. He crossed illegally into the US successful September 2023.

His parent has not seen him successful idiosyncratic successful six years.

"He doesn't beryllium to immoderate transgression gang, either successful the US oregon successful Venezuela… he's not a criminal," Ms Casique said. "What he's been is simply a barber."

"Unfortunately, helium has tattoos," she added, convinced that the roses and names of household members that adorn his assemblage led to his detention and deportation. That is however she, and different members, recognised him from pictures released of the deportees successful El Salvador.

Several different families person said they judge that deportees were mistakenly identified arsenic Tren de Aragua pack members due to the fact that of their tattoos.

"It's him," Ms Casique said tearfully successful Maracay, referencing the representation from the prison. "I privation it wasn't him… helium didn't merit to beryllium transferred there."

The parent of Mervin Yamarte, 29, besides identified her lad successful the video.

"I threw myself connected the floor, saying that God couldn't bash this to my son," she told the BBC from her location successful the Los Pescadores neighbourhood of Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Like Ms Casique, she denies her lad was progressive with the gang. He had near his hometown and travelled to the US done the Darién Gap, crossing illegally successful 2023 with 3 of his friends: Edwar Herrera, 23; Andy Javier Perozo, 30; and Ringo Rincón, 39.

The BBC spoke with their families and friends, who said they had spotted the 4 men successful the footage and they were present each being held successful the El Salvador jail.

Mr Yamarte's parent said her lad had worked successful a tortilla factory, sometimes moving 12-hour shifts. On Sundays, helium played shot with his friends.

"He's a good, noble young man. There's a mistake," she said.

President Trump invoked a centuries-old law, the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, to deport the men without owed process successful the US, saying they were Tren de Aragua pack members.

Despite the US government's assurances that the deportees were cautiously vetted, the determination has had a chilling effect connected galore Venezuelans and Venezuelan-Americans successful the US, who fearfulness that Trump's usage of the instrumentality could pb to much Venezuelans being accused and swiftly deported without immoderate charges oregon convictions.

"Of people we're afraid. We're terrified," said Adelys Ferro, the executive-director of the Venezuelan-American Caucus, an advocacy group. "We privation each azygous subordinate of TdA to wage for their crimes. But we don't cognize what the criteria is."

"They [Venezeulans] are surviving successful uncertain times," she said. "They don't cognize what decisions to marque - adjacent radical with documents and person been present for years."

Ms Ferro's concerns were echoed by Brian de la Vega, a salient Florida-based, Venezuela-born migration lawyer and subject veteran.

Many of his clients are successful the Miami area, including Doral - a suburb sometimes fixed the moniker "Doralzuela" for its ample Venezuelan population.

"The bulk of Venezuelans successful the US are trying to bash the close thing. They fearfulness going backmost to their location country," Mr de la Vega told the BBC. "The main concern, for me, is however they're identifying these members. The modular is precise low."

Many Venezuelan expatriates successful the US - peculiarly South Florida - person been broadly supportive of Trump, who has taken a pugnacious stance connected the left-wing authorities of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro which galore of them fled.

But successful February, the Trump medication terminated Temporary Protected Status - TPS - for Venezuelans, which had shielded galore from deportation. The programme officially ends connected 7 April and could interaction astir 350,000 Venezuelan nationals surviving successful the US.

"Trump's speeches person ever been beardown astir the Venezuelan regime, particularly during the campaign," Mr de la Vega said. "I don't deliberation radical expected each this."

Daniel Campo, a Venezuelan-born naturalised US national successful Pennsylvania - and ardent Trump protagonist - told the BBC that portion helium remains steadfast successful his enactment of the president, helium has immoderate concerns astir the deportations to El Salvador and the extremity of TPS.

"I surely anticipation that erstwhile they are doing raids to deport Tren de Aragua, particularly to the situation successful El Salvador, they are being other careful," helium said.

Among those caught by astonishment by the extremity of TPS and the caller deportations is simply a 25-year-old Venezuelan antheral who asked to beryllium identified lone arsenic Yilber, who arrived successful the US successful 2022 aft a long, unsafe travel done Central America and Mexico.

He's present successful the US - but unsure astir what comes next.

"I near Venezuela due to the fact that of the repression, and the insecurity. My neighbourhood successful Caracas had gangs," helium said. "Now I don't cognize what's going to hap here."

Additional reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr successful Washington