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Venezuelan man detained by ICE while taking out trash in Florida, family struggles to reach him

Sep 19, 2026·Location: Davenport, FL

Venezuelan man detained by ICE while taking out trash in Florida, family struggles to reach him
Photo via Instagram

Jose Gregorio "Grego" Pena Pacheco, a 51-year-old Venezuelan man living in Davenport, Florida, was detained by ICE on September 17, 2026 while driving a short distance from his home to take out the trash, still in his pajamas without shoes. He has a pending asylum case, is authorized to work in the U.S., and has no known criminal history, but has a chronic illness requiring daily medication that he did not have with him at the time of detention. His sister Eliana received one brief call from him on September 18 during which he could not identify his location, and family and friends have since been unable to confirm his whereabouts or whether he received his medication. He reportedly told his sister he was given three documents in English, a language he does not speak fluently, asking him to choose between leaving the U.S., paying for release, or remaining detained while fighting his case. His family has retained an immigration attorney and is asking the community for help locating him and information about his case.

Timeline

Sep 19, 2026—A scheduled follow-up call reportedly did not occur; family unable to confirm his whereabouts or medication status, and has retained an immigration attorney
Sep 18, 2026—Sister Eliana received a brief call from him; he could not identify his location and mentioned being given English-language documents about his case options
Sep 17, 2026—Jose Gregorio "Grego" Pena Pacheco detained by ICE while taking out the trash near his home in Davenport, Florida
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