Report Venezuelans Freed from El Salvador Mega-Prison Recall 'Hell'

[webfact]

Picture by La Prensa Gráfica via Wikipedia

 

A group of Venezuelans, recently released from El Salvador's notorious prison, describe enduring brutal conditions.

 

Mervin Yamarte, along with three other men from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was falsely accused of gang connections and deported under a controversial US agreement, landing them in the maximum-security Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador. They recount months of mistreatment before their release and return to Venezuela last week.

 

The men claim they were subjected to beatings and forced to eat "like animals" at Cecot. The prison, criticised by rights groups for having inhumane conditions, denies such allegations. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele remains firm against these claims, while Venezuela's government vows to investigate alleged abuses, accusing El Salvador of systemic torture.

 

Mervin Yamarte was working in Texas when detained and falsely linked to the Tren de Aragua gang due to his tattoos. He denies any criminal associations, as do his companions. Caracas celebrations marked their return, with their hometown welcoming them with cheers and gifts, symbolising a poignant reunion with family, according to the BBC.

 

Critics argue that the US's invoking of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members escalates tensions and harms innocent individuals. The deportees deny these accusations, but their experience underscores the complexities and humanitarian concerns inherent in such deportation policies.

 

After being released in a prisoner exchange, the men returned to Venezuela and were reunited with their families in an emotional manner. However, the scars of their ordeal remain. Despite claims of adhering to international standards, Cecot faces continuous scrutiny over its treatment of inmates.

 

As the US and El Salvador face criticism, relief permeates through the Venezuelan neighbourhood as the four men finally step out of their nightmares. Meanwhile, international eyes remain on both governments as the saga of deportation, imprisonment, and human rights concerns unfolds.

 

Venezuela continues to press for accountability, yet the broader geopolitical implications of such international agreements are evident. The story is a compelling illustration of the harsh realities faced by migrants amidst ongoing diplomatic exchanges and the tumultuous landscape they navigate.

 

Ultimately, the return of these Venezuelans underscores both the relief and the costs of their journey, a reminder of the personal impacts behind political headlines.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-07-26

 

 

[Jim Blue]

Punishment of the innocent ?

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Jim Blue said:

Punishment of the innocent ?

In some case, perhaps.

In any case, even for those that think such cruel and unusual inhumane conditions are ever justified, they certainly should only be reserved for the most extreme criminal cases.

The Trump regime has not done that at all!

All decent Americans are appropriately disgusted with this.

Trump's strongest issue was immigration. A winning issue for the magas.

Even on that, he is far underwater on approval.

That's what you get when you take things way too far.

[MicroB]

The was a prisoner exchange. So who was the other prisoner?

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/americas/trump-venezuela-convicted-murderer-swap.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.Z_6z.ysX5oJ-cHfjm&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

 

Quote

 

He killed three people in Spain and fled to Venezuela, where he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, court documents show. Then last week, the Trump administration negotiated his release as part of a large prisoner swap, and he arrived on American soil.

Now, the convict, Dahud Hanid Ortiz, 54, a U.S. Army veteran, is free in the United States, according to two people with knowledge of the case. One said he was in Orlando, Fla.

 

Mr. Hanid Ortiz’s crimes took place in 2016 in Madrid, according to Venezuelan court documents, when he visited the office of a lawyer, Victor Salas, who he believed was having a relationship with his wife.

He killed two women there, as well as a man he mistook for Mr. Salas. He fled to Germany and then to Venezuela. Spain sought the extradition of Mr. Hanid Ortiz, but the Venezuelan Constitution does not allow the extradition of its citizens, and he was tried instead in Venezuela.

 

Eight of the 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents released on Friday have been declared wrongfully detained by the State Department, an official designation that paves the way for access to a rehabilitation program.

Mr. Hanid Ortiz has not been declared wrongfully detained, according to one of the people familiar with the case, though Mr. Rubio used the phrase in a statement about the men on Friday.

“Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,” Mr. Rubio said.

 

 

So a convicted triple murderer has now at large in the US.

[kimothai]

This BBC (Lefty biased) News article fails to mention if these Venezuelans were in the USA illegally or not.  Most likely criminal illegals since they did get deported.  Then, it goes on to say these Venezuelans were falsely accused of being gang members simply because of their gang tattoos.  Really?  I can only imagine what these guys tried to tell ICE in regard to their tattoos.  "Honest Officer, we only got these tattoos because we thought they (tattoos) were a really cool fashion statement, we're not gangbangers".  If anybody believes that bs story, I have some prime property I'll sell you in the Florida Everglades.

This article doesn't mention the time period that this all happened but may have been during the period when Venezuela refused to take deportees from USA.  If that's the case, then they wound up in El Salvadore because their home country abandoned them. 

This article has way too many holes in it which I suspect was done on purpose to throw shade on Trump which shouldn't surprise anyone since BBC is just the British version of CNN or NBC.

[stevenl]

10 hours ago, MicroB said:

The was a prisoner exchange. So who was the other prisoner?

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/americas/trump-venezuela-convicted-murderer-swap.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.Z_6z.ysX5oJ-cHfjm&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

 

 

So a convicted triple murderer has now at large in the US.

Plus, how was this exchange possible? Both trump and biondi claimed to have no influence over the prisoners once in El Salvador.

[stevenl]

41 minutes ago, kimothai said:

This BBC (Lefty biased) News article fails to mention if these Venezuelans were in the USA illegally or not.  Most likely criminal illegals since they did get deported.  Then, it goes on to say these Venezuelans were falsely accused of being gang members simply because of their gang tattoos.  Really?  I can only imagine what these guys tried to tell ICE in regard to their tattoos.  "Honest Officer, we only got these tattoos because we thought they (tattoos) were a really cool fashion statement, we're not gangbangers".  If anybody believes that bs story, I have some prime property I'll sell you in the Florida Everglades.

This article doesn't mention the time period that this all happened but may have been during the period when Venezuela refused to take deportees from USA.  If that's the case, then they wound up in El Salvadore because their home country abandoned them. 

This article has way too many holes in it which I suspect was done on purpose to throw shade on Trump which shouldn't surprise anyone since BBC is just the British version of CNN or NBC.

What's your point? You claim there ate holes in the article without any proof except your beliefs. There are countless, proven, stories of unjustified arrests by ICE.

[kimothai]

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

What's your point? You claim there ate holes in the article without any proof except your beliefs. There are countless, proven, stories of unjustified arrests by ICE.

The point is that there are holes in this story which allows bias due to lack of facts.  This story doesn't even state if they were in the USA legally or illegally.  Yes, there are stories of unjustified arrests but let's not for forget that none of this would have been necessary if it wasn't for the lack of border security of the previous "weekend at Bernie's" administration.

[stevenl]

4 minutes ago, kimothai said:

Yes, there are stories of unjustified arrests but let's not for forget that none of this would have been necessary if it wasn't for the lack of border security of the previous "weekend at Bernie's" administration.

Nice talking point but not true. Many of the arrests were not people that entered during biden but before that or overstayed. 

 

Your 'holes' are irrelevant to the detainment.

[kimothai]

8 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Nice talking point but not true. Many of the arrests were not people that entered during biden but before that or overstayed. 

 

Your 'holes' are irrelevant to the detainment.

The holes I'm referring to are those associated with this article from the BBC.  As far as the time when these illegals entered the USA is another hole in this article.  The entry time doesn't matter as much as the fact that they were "criminals" with Gang banger tattoos.  No doubt that many people caught up in all this deportation may have been here before Biden took office and they only have Biden to thank for this because of his lack of border control which is the reason for this massive effort by ICE.

[SunnyinBangrak]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Plus, how was this exchange possible? Both trump and biondi claimed to have no influence over the prisoners once in El Salvador.

Can't be true. Didn't the left's darling of the month of April get treated to marguerita happy hour at some swanky restaurant with Van Hollen? Sounds like influence to me.

[John Drake]

I think the deportees are probably lying. But it's good to see them say these things anyway, as that ought to help scare the illegals still in the US to self deport.