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José Manuel R.B.: Venezuelan father sent to El Salvador prison over tattoos

José Manuel Ramos Bastidas, who crossed legally to pay for his baby's asthma care, was deported not to Venezuela as promised but to El Salvador's CECOT prison over his tattoos.

Mar 15, 2025TXCountry of origin: Venezuela

José Manuel R.B.: Venezuelan father sent to El Salvador prison over tattoos
Photo via ProPublica

José Manuel Ramos Bastidas, a 30-year-old Venezuelan man, left Venezuela in 2024 to earn money for his infant son's severe asthma treatment. He used the CBP One app to request asylum at the border, was denied, and was held in a Texas detention facility awaiting deportation back to Venezuela. Instead, on March 15, 2025, he was sent to El Salvador's CECOT prison, where the government accused him without evidence of being a Tren de Aragua gang member based on his tattoos. His family has not heard from him since and does not know if he is alive.

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