Venezuelan school custodian detained by ICE while driving to work, union demands release
Aug 9, 2026 · St. Johns County, FL, Venezuela

Leonel Armando Bolívar Linares, a 29-year-old Venezuelan custodian at a St. Johns County school, was detained by ICE agents on August 5, 2026, while driving to work after a traffic stop. Bolívar Linares holds a valid work permit and driver's license, has a pending asylum application, and is legally present in the country. He has no criminal record and holds a university degree in journalism. His mother, Dayana Linares, and other family members who also work at the school expressed concern about the manner of his arrest and fear of deportation, noting that returning to Venezuela would pose a risk to his safety. His union, the St. Johns Educational Support Professionals Association, backed him and demanded his release. His family is raising funds to cover immigration bond, attorney's fees, and legal expenses.
Timeline
Sources
More incidents in Florida
- Mother and daughter detained by ICE while being treated at Orlando-area hospitalAug 22, 2026 · Orlando, FL
- Video shows ICE agents forcing women to ground during Fort Myers, Florida stopAug 20, 2026 · Fort Myers, FL
- Florida's ICE office leads nation in arrests amid expanding local police partnershipsAug 19, 2026 · Miami, FL
- Former Cuban judge detained by ICE outside Florida home, denies Communist Party tiesAug 18, 2026 · Cooper City, FL
- Immigrant forcibly detained by ICE outside Dollar Tree in JacksonvilleAug 17, 2026 · Jacksonville, FL
- Guatemalan man held over a week at 72-hour ICE facility despite signing voluntary departureAug 17, 2026 · Miramar, FL