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Colombian man deported to DR Congo despite CAT protection, later returns home

Apr 13, 2026 · Colombia

Colombian man deported to DR Congo despite CAT protection, later returns home

Carlos Rodelo, a 43-year-old Colombian from Barranquilla who fled extortion in his home country, was granted Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection by a federal judge, which should have prevented his deportation to an unsafe third country. On April 13, 2026, despite his CAT protection and a pending habeas corpus challenge, Rodelo was held at Alexandria airport without food for several hours while shackled, then forcibly deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a Trump Administration third-country deportation agreement. Rodelo, who had diabetes and other medical conditions, described conditions in Congo as restrictive and felt like a prisoner despite being told he was free. He subsequently returned to Colombia through the International Organization for Migration's Assisted Voluntary Return program. The Department of Homeland Security asserted he had violated the terms of his parole. Rodelo was part of the first group of 15 Latin Americans deported to the DRC under the agreement.

Timeline

Apr 13, 2026Carlos Rodelo held at Alexandria airport without food while shackled, then forcibly deported to Democratic Republic of Congo despite having been granted CAT protection by a federal judge and filing a habeas corpus challenge
Apr 2026Rodelo in Democratic Republic of Congo under third-country deportation arrangement; describes conditions as restrictive
Recent weeks before late 2026Rodelo returns to Colombia through International Organization for Migration's Assisted Voluntary Return program

Sources

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