On Wednesday, greater than a lots youngsters in lime eco-friendly football attire bordered Jerce Reyes Barrios, embracing and getting on their previous train as observers supported. Previously in the week, numerous locals of the Venezuelan community of Machiques de Perija lined the road and supported as a Venezuelan National Guard vehicle drew right into community to go down Reyes Barrios off at his home.
The group tossed confetti, raised and down, and happily barked as he left the automobile.
The abundant homecoming remained in plain comparison to the welcome he obtained in March at El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, where he claims he and over 200 various other Venezuelan nationals, charged by the Trump management of being participants of the gang Tren de Aragua, were strongly brought in right into the center.
” Invite to heck on planet, where you will certainly be condemned and invest the remainder of your life, where I will certainly ensure you never ever consume poultry or meat once again,” Reyes Barrios remembered one warder presumably informing the males.
” That was when I lost my very first tear and assumed, wow– my very first time being mentally mistreated,” he informed ABC Information in a meeting Friday, talking in Spanish from his home in Venezuela, after being launched from CECOT in a detainee swap recently.
Reyes Barrios and his fellow detainees were deported from the united state when the Trump management conjured up the Alien Enemies Act– an 18th century war time authority made use of to get rid of noncitizens with little-to-no due procedure– by suggesting that Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that is attacking the USA.
An authorities with united state Migration and Traditions Enforcement recognized quickly later that “several” of the males deported on March 15 did not have rap sheets in the USA– yet stated that “the absence of certain details regarding each person” really “shows that they are terrorists when it come to whom we do not have a total account.”
Jerce Reyes Barrios is welcomed by participants of his young people football group in Venezuela, July 23, 2025.
Buddies and family members of Jerce Reyes Barrios
In March, ABC Information reported regarding Reyes Barrios’ jail time after his lawyer, Linette Tobin, sent a vowed statement and records in court she stated supported her insurance claim that her customer had no rap sheet in Venezuela or the USA, was used as an expert football gamer and young people train, and was incorrectly charged of being a gang participant as a result of his tattoo which revealed a crown in addition to a football round with a rosary and words “Dios,” indicating “God.”
Reyes Barrios’ family members resembled what his lawyer stated in court filings, and informed ABC Information that his tattoo was imitated the Actual Madrid football group logo design.
” I obtained the tattoo since my preferred group is Actual Madrid, which has a crown in addition to a circle signifying the round, that’s why I obtained it,” Reyes Barrios informed ABC Information. “For me, football is the king of sporting activities so it associates with the football round with the crown.”
Division of Homeland Protection Aide Assistant Tricia McLaughlin, in a declaration to ABC Information, stated, “DHS knowledge evaluations surpass tattoos, and we are certain in our searchings for. We aren’t mosting likely to share knowledge records and weaken nationwide safety and security every single time a gang participant refutes he is one. That would certainly be ridiculous.”
‘ We were almost existed to’
Reyes Barrios went across the U.S.-Mexico boundary lawfully via the CBP One application in September 2025, yet was charged of being a Tren de Aragua participant and was apprehended at a center under optimal safety and security, court documents reveal.
” The private investigator … sees my tattoos and informs me this tattoo comes from the Tren de Aragua gang. I was not aware of (the gang) since in Venezuela you do not truly see that,” Reyes Barrios stated.
DHS charged Reyes Barrios of having a gang-affiliated tattoo and likewise asserted there were pictures revealing him presenting gang indications. According to Tobin’s statement, those declared gang indications were the hand icons for “rock-and-roll” and “I enjoy you” in indication language.
After Tobin provided details regarding his absence of a rap sheet and the resource of the tattoo, that included a vowed statement from the tattoo musician that developed it, Reyes Barrios was moved out of optimal safety and security.
In spite of having a court hearing established for April 17, he was moved to an apprehension center in Texas and was quickly deported to El Salvador on March 15, together with over 200 various other males. He claims ICE authorities did not inform the males where they were being sent out prior to they boarded the airplane.
” There were 3 aircrafts, everybody clapping since we were mosting likely to Venezuela,” he stated.
On the airplane, ICE authorities purchased the males to maintain the home windows shut.
” The shock for us– when we landed in San Salvador,” he stated. “We were almost existed to.”
‘ We might listen to screams’
The terrible consumption procedure at CECOT was captured on electronic camera and released on social media sites by Trump administration officials and El Salvador’s Head of state Nayib Bukele. Reyes Barrios stated that when inside the jail, their heads were cut and they were removed nude and offered jail attires. He declares guards defeat the males throughout the whole procedure– yet the actual fear began when the males were brought in right into “Component 8.”
” You really felt the stress getting in that component since we might listen to screams. We saw blood, we saw vomit … individuals were collapsing,” he stated. It went to that minute that he stated a jail authorities invited the males to “heck on planet.”
From that minute on, Reyes Barrios stated the males were not just separated from various other detainees, yet were likewise removed from the globe. They were not aware, he stated, that a government court had actually unsuccessfully bought the Trump management to transform their aircrafts around when the ACLU submitted an emergency situation activity in court.
” We could not see the sunlight, I imply, we really did not recognize anything. We stated that we had actually been failed to remember, that we were essentially mosting likely to pass away there, that nobody was defending us,” he stated.
The males were consistently defeated, he stated. Their beards expanded long and unkept. He stated the lights inside their congested cells were continued and the guards would consistently defeat their batons versus benches to maintain the males from resting throughout the day.
Jerce Reyes, a football gamer from Venezuela, was deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
Politeness family members of Jerce Reyes Barrio
When participants of the Red Cross or various other authorities would certainly see the jail, Reyes Barrios claims the detainees were handed tidy clothing and enabled to shower. They were offered much better food to preserve the look that they were being dealt with well, he stated.
” They would certainly take one cell to apparently go play football,” he stated. “They would certainly have us make believe to bet 5 mins, document a video clip, take an image, and after that back within. Nobody else would certainly head out. “
The males killed time playing video games and working out. Reyes Barrios stated he reviewed the Scriptures as he fell under clinical depression.
” I review a great deal regarding Task’s tale because equally as God provided Task the perseverance to sustain every little thing that occurred to him, I asked God to provide me perseverance.”
After That, greater than 3 months right into their jail time, the males started to presume something unusual was occurring when they were offered hairstyles.
At 2 in the early morning, a guard informed the males they had 20 mins to shower. They began to presume they will be launched, Reyes Barrios stated.
” We begin slapping, since they never ever send us to shower at 2 in the early morning,” he stated.
They were each offered simple clothing, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt.
” Some began weeping which minute was gorgeous,” he stated.
On July 18, greater than 250 Venezuelan travelers were released by El Salvador and moved to Venezuela. In exchange, the Venezuela’s Maduro program accepted launch 10 American detainees from their guardianship.
‘ Am I fantasizing?’
A video clip taken by Reyes Barrios’ sis revealed the weepy minute he embraced his daddy after showing up back in his home town of Machiques de Perija.
” Could it hold true or am I fantasizing?” he claims he asks himself since he has actually been released. “I squeeze myself, yes it’s actual.”
” That welcome individuals provided me, I really did not anticipate it, yet that reveals the united state federal government that I’m not a criminal,” he stated.
Reyes Barrios claims he has no strategies of going back to the USA right now, yet he is afraid being apprehended once again. A group of legal representatives is suggesting him on submitting a prospective legal action, yet he has actually not yet chosen.
He stated he’s concentrated on spending quality time with his children and with God.
” During the night I would certainly ask God to reveal me my future in desires– what will certainly end up being of my life,” Reyes Barrios remembered of his time in CECOT.
” I imagined remaining in my community with my children with my moms and dads, and I would certainly head straight to the football area,” he stated.
