Franco José Caraballo Tiapa, a 26-year-old Venezuelan, is among several individuals who have been deported from the United States to El Salvador under controversial circumstances. Caraballo, a father of two and a barber by trade, has a passion for tattoos, a hobby that may have contributed to his deportation. On his body, he wears a rose, a lion, and a razor blade symbolizing his profession. Additionally, he sports a pocket watch commemorating the birth time of his eldest daughter, Shalome, and her name in black lettering across his chest.
However, Caraballo’s tattoos may have become the basis for his detention by U.S. immigration authorities. According to a February Department of Homeland Security document reviewed by The Guardian, Caraballo was identified as a member of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though the document provided no evidence for this claim. Despite his lack of a criminal record in the U.S., immigration officials cited his tattoos as the reason for suspecting his gang affiliation.
Caraballo’s lawyer, Martin Rosenow, strongly rejected these allegations. “There is no basis for the claim that these tattoos are connected to gang membership,” Rosenow stated. “Experts familiar with the gang culture in Venezuela have confirmed that no specific tattoos are associated with Tren de Aragua.” He also criticized the broader implications of such actions, calling them a violation of human rights.
Caraballo, who entered the U.S. via the southern border in October 2023, is not alone in being targeted based on tattoos. Other Venezuelan asylum seekers are also facing deportation under similar circumstances.
Venezuelan Asylum Seekers Detained Over Tattoos
Daniel Alberto Lozano Camargo, a 20-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela, found himself detained in November 2023 after being arrested in Houston. Lozano, who worked washing cars, had several tattoos, including the names of his partner’s daughter, his niece, and his father, who passed away when he was young. Lozano’s partner, Leslie Aranda, explained that his tattoos were expressions of love and art, not affiliations with criminal organizations. Yet, U.S. immigration authorities saw his body art as a potential link to Tren de Aragua.
“None of these tattoos has anything to do with the gang,” Aranda said, adding that Lozano had no criminal history and was simply a man trying to build a life in the U.S.
Similarly, Neri José Alvarado Borges, a 24-year-old psychology student from Venezuela, was deported to El Salvador despite his tattoos being linked to personal meanings, such as his brother’s name and autism advocacy. His sister, Lisbengerth Montilla, rejected the notion that his body art tied him to the gang. She emphasized that her brother’s migration to the U.S. was a result of Venezuela’s economic collapse and political repression, not criminal behavior.
Tattoos as Evidence of Gang Membership
Luis Carlos José Marcano Silva, another Venezuelan detained and deported to El Salvador, had tattoos that seemingly played a central role in his arrest. Marcano’s tattoos included a crown, a face of Jesus, and the name of his daughter, Adelys. His mother, Adelys del Valle Silva Ortega, expressed frustration at her son’s deportation, asserting that the tattoos did not indicate any gang affiliation.
Similarly, Jerce Reyes Barrios, a former professional footballer, was detained despite tattoos that he explained were inspired by his love for soccer, including a crown atop a soccer ball and the word “Dios” (God). His lawyer, Linette Tobin, argued that Reyes’s tattoos were not gang-related and criticized the U.S. immigration officials for misinterpreting his social media posts, including a hand gesture that they mistakenly associated with gang membership.
Human Rights Concerns and the Alien Enemies Act
As the U.S. continues its hardline immigration crackdown, the deportation of these Venezuelans raises questions about the use of body art as a tool for criminal identification. The Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the deportation of individuals deemed to pose a national security threat, has been a key factor in this process. However, many of those deported, including the individuals mentioned, have no criminal records or ties to gangs.
The U.S. government has characterized the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador as “heinous monsters” and terrorists, but officials have yet to provide specific evidence linking them to criminal activities. Robert Serna, an official from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, admitted that many of the deported individuals lacked criminal records but insisted that they were members of Tren de Aragua.
A Disturbing Trend
The cases of Caraballo, Lozano, Alvarado, Marcano, Reyes, and others underscore a troubling trend where tattoos are being used as a tool for identifying individuals as criminals, without substantial evidence. These individuals, who fled Venezuela due to economic hardship and political persecution, are now facing harsh deportations based on assumptions rather than facts. The use of tattoos as a form of criminal profiling raises significant concerns about due process, human rights, and the broader implications for immigrants seeking safety in the U.S.
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