Jerce Reyes, a former Venezuelan soccer player, is facing an unlikely and controversial deportation from the United States, with some of his tattoos cited as evidence of gang affiliation. According to U.S. immigration authorities, the ink on Reyes’s body links him to Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang. However, his lawyer and tattoo artist maintain that these tattoos represent his love for soccer and family, not criminal activity.
The 35-year-old Reyes, who spent years as a professional soccer player, has tattoos commemorating his passions—symbols of soccer and the names of his two daughters, inked by his friend and tattoo artist, Victor Mengual. However, in September 2023, Reyes found himself in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, where his tattoos would later become a focal point in his deportation case.
Reyes was among hundreds of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked an 18th-century law to expedite the removal of undocumented migrants to the Central American country. Authorities argue that the tattoos on Reyes’s arms suggest membership in Tren de Aragua, a criminal syndicate that operates in Venezuela and has spread across Latin America.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that Reyes’s tattoos are “consistent with those indicating Tren de Aragua membership,” a claim that includes his social media activity, which they assert also links him to the gang. A senior DHS official emphasized their confidence in these assessments, though DHS did not specify which tattoos or social media posts provided evidence of Reyes’s alleged gang ties.
Mengual, who tattooed Reyes in 2018 and 2023, denies the accusations, explaining that many of the tattoos are purely personal. Among them is a crown-adorned soccer ball, a tribute to Reyes’s favorite team, Real Madrid, and a word beneath it—“Dios,” which means God in Spanish and is a nod to the late Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona. Mengual pointed out that such tattoos are common among soccer fans, including international stars like Neymar and Paulo Dybala.
The tattoo artist also highlighted that Reyes received the soccer-related ink long before Tren de Aragua was recognized as a criminal entity outside Venezuela. Other tattoos on Reyes include the names of his daughters, a map of Venezuela, and symbols representing his position as a goalkeeper—designs that Mengual insists have no criminal connotation.
Despite the evidence from Mengual and Reyes’s clean criminal record in Venezuela, the U.S. authorities maintain that certain symbols, including crowns and stars, are commonly used by members of Tren de Aragua. This connection to the gang has led to a legal battle, with Reyes’s lawyer, Linette Tobin, presenting documents and soccer footage that demonstrate his client’s character and professional history in Venezuela.
Reyes’s partner, Mariyin Araujo, vehemently denies the allegations, describing Reyes as a devoted father and soccer enthusiast with no involvement in criminal activity. She expressed her disbelief that her partner, who had traveled to the U.S. seeking a better future for his family, was detained and deported without a thorough investigation.
In December, Reyes and Tobin applied for asylum, citing political unrest in Venezuela. However, the political shift in the U.S. under the Trump administration led to an aggressive immigration crackdown, and Reyes was placed in ICE custody after being detained upon entry in September 2023. Despite the legal efforts to prove his innocence, Reyes was deported to El Salvador in March 2024, where he now faces detention at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), one of the country’s most notorious prisons.
The news of Reyes’s deportation has sparked outrage, particularly in his hometown of Machiques, Venezuela, where his former soccer club, Perijaneros FC, has launched a campaign calling for his release. The club’s coach, Yogerse Viloria, expressed his disbelief over the lack of investigation before Reyes’s deportation, noting that many of the community’s youth, including Reyes, had left Venezuela in search of better opportunities.
As the legal battle continues, Araujo remains hopeful for Reyes’s release. She believes his innocence will eventually be recognized and that the wrongful deportation will be rectified. The community in Machiques, alongside Reyes’s family and friends, is rallying for his freedom, insisting that he has been unjustly caught in a case of mistaken identity due to his tattoos.
Reyes’s case highlights ongoing concerns about the intersection of immigration enforcement and racial or cultural symbols, underscoring the complexities of interpreting tattoos and personal expressions in the context of law enforcement.
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