Luis Alberto Castillo, a father of 1 from Venezuela, entered america on Jan. 19, at some point earlier than Donald Trump grew to become president for a second time period — swept into workplace on a promise to deal with undocumented migrants with a heavy hand.
By Feb. 4, Mr. Castillo was on a airplane to a U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, greatest identified for a detention heart that has lengthy held terrorism suspects accused of launching the deadliest assault on American soil.
That day, the Division of Homeland Safety declared that those that had been transferred to the island represented “the worst of the worst” and have been all members of a Venezuelan legal group, the Tren de Aragua.
However in interview from her dwelling in Colombia, Mr. Castillo’s sister Yajaira Castillo stated her brother was not a gang member to be feared, however somewhat an on a regular basis Venezuelan who had fled his nation due to its financial disaster.
She broke down repeatedly in the course of the dialog, crying as she described her ache and confusion round her brother’s state of affairs.
“My brother shouldn’t be a legal,” she stated. “That is all discrimination and xenophobia, simply because he’s Venezuelan.”
Provided that Mr. Castillo had spent such little time in america, she questioned how the U.S. authorities may have decided that he was a member of the Tren de Aragua, or was worthy of such harsh remedy.
After he entered america, officers suspected Mr. Castillo of being a member of the gang due to his tattoos, in accordance with two individuals accustomed to his case who weren’t licensed to debate it publicly.
He didn’t admit to being part of the legal group. Later, officers assessed his tattoos and interviewed him, they usually discovered that he didn’t seem to have ties with the Tren de Aragua, the individuals stated.
In an preliminary e mail, a spokeswoman for the Division of Homeland Safety stated that Mr. Castillo was in america illegally and had remaining deportation orders issued by a federal choose.
“This administration abides by the rule of regulation,” stated the spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin. “Throughout additional evaluation, intelligence officers couldn’t definitively decide whether or not the person is or shouldn’t be a confirmed member of TDA,” or Tren de Aragua. “He might very effectively be a member of this vicious gang. He might not be.”
In a follow-up message, Ms. McLaughlin stated that the division had obtained new data that Mr. Castillo was a member of the gang. She didn’t present proof.
“TDA is a pathetic gang for human trafficking, drug trafficking and kidnap for ransom amongst different heinous crimes,’’ Ms. McLaughlin stated. “The New York Instances is extra involved in writing sob tales about its disgusting members than justice for its victims.”
Within the interview, Mr. Castillo’s sister shared a screenshot that indicated that he had not tried to evade authorities when he entered the nation. The picture included particulars of an appointment her brother had secured to current himself on the border to say asylum on Jan. 19 at 7 a.m.
The Biden administration had arrange a system for migrants to make these claims and enter america legally by means of an app referred to as CBP One. Mr. Trump ended this system on Jan. 21.
Over the past week, america authorities has despatched greater than 80 males to Guantánamo Bay as a part of bigger plan by the Trump administration to carry as many as 30,000 migrants on the Naval base. Up to now, all of the detainees are believed to be Venezuelans. Some are being held in a jail constructing on the bottom, whereas others are detained on the Migrant Operations Middle, a dormitory-style facility. (Mr. Castillo is being held on the migrant heart, in accordance with D.H.S.)
U.S. troops are constructing a tent camp on the website in an effort to vastly develop its capability to carry detained migrants.
The Pentagon has described the primary few Guantánamo arrivals as “high-threat unlawful aliens” and their detention on the base as “a brief measure.” However the administration has not launched any particulars proving the boys have legal information or described how officers decided they have been a menace.
Mr. Castillo is believed to be among the many first 10 males who have been despatched there from El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 4, as a result of his sister acknowledged him in {a photograph} of migrants being despatched to Guantánamo that was printed on social media by Kristi Noem, the brand new head of the Division of Homeland Safety.
The picture, wherein Mr. Castillo’s head is bowed low and an officer in camouflage and gloves holds his again, was later shared extensively on social media. Ms. Castillo occurred upon it on TikTok.
The Tren de Aragua, a multinational group born in Venezuela’s Aragua state, has expanded to different elements of Latin America and so far as america. The Trump administration lately started the method of designating the group as a international terrorist group.
Mr. Castillo has a Michael Jordan tattoo on his neck, which his sister believes border authorities took as an indication that he was a member of the gang. In one of many final messages he despatched to her earlier than detention, Mr. Castillo stated that he had made it to the border and that officers “handled him badly due to the tattoos,” she stated.
Ronna Rísquez, a Venezuelan investigative journalist who has written a ebook concerning the legal group, stated the authorities can be incorrect to imagine that somebody with a Michael Jordan tattoo is a member.
Some people within the Tren de Aragua would possibly put on the image, she stated, however this has extra to do with the truth that basketball — which might be performed with restricted sources — has change into enormously well-liked in poorer elements of Venezuela over the previous few a long time.
“The eagerness for Michael Jordan, as a result of he’s the final word image of basketball, has been round for generations,” she stated.
Ms. Castillo stated the tattoos have been merely a part of her brother’s look, which regularly included shorts and sneakers and Jordan gear. She shared a previous picture of him sporting a sweatshirt with the “jumpman” brand related to Mr. Jordan.
She stated she believed her brother’s affinity for Mr. Jordan had turned him right into a “guinea pig” for the Trump administration’s increasing deportation program.
Like many Venezuelans, Mr. Castillo had left his nation years in the past and was dwelling in Colombia, washing vehicles. His sister stated he was barely scraping by and had left for america within the hopes of constructing more cash “to present all the pieces to his son, to work and work for his son.”
His journey to the U.S. southern border started in late 2023, she stated. With restricted funds, it took him till January of this yr to achieve Texas. There, she stated, he was apprehended by the authorities.
A assessment of public police information signifies that Mr. Castillo was not convicted of any crimes whereas in Colombia.
Mr. Castillo is the eighth of 9 siblings; 4 dwell in Colombia and 4 others in Venezuela. He’ll flip 30 on Feb. 23.
The Guantánamo base is greatest identified for its post-9/11 detention facility, operated by the Pentagon. It right now holds 15 foreigners as wartime prisoners, individually from the Venezuelans being held there in migrant detention.
Ms. Castillo stated she had identified little about Guantánamo, solely that it was “a high-danger cell for main terrorists” and that after despatched there, prisoners “don’t have any rights, that it’s for the worst criminals.”
All she needed now for her brother, she stated, “is for him to be returned.”
“I don’t need him within the arms of any authorities,” she continued. “What I would like is for him to be returned to us.”
Carol Rosenberg contributed reporting from Florida and Simón Posada from Bogotá, Colombia.
