A 19-year-old Venezuelan named Merwil Gutiérrez found himself mistakenly detained and deported to El Salvador by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) despite not being the intended target of the operation. Gutiérrez, who had no criminal record in Venezuela or the US, was sent to the Cecot prison in El Salvador, a place known for its harsh conditions, sparking outrage and distress among his family. His father, Wilmer Gutiérrez, expressed frustration at the lack of information and transparency surrounding his son’s case, highlighting the emotional toll of the ordeal.

The incident is part of a broader trend under the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies, which have seen cases of wrongful deportations and a push to remove noncitizens from the US, even those with legal status and no criminal charges. The Gutiérrez family’s experience echoes that of another individual, Kilmar Abrego García, who was also mistakenly deported to the same El Salvador prison.

The situation underscores the human cost of immigration enforcement actions and raises concerns about the lack of safeguards to prevent such errors. As the Trump administration continues its efforts to ramp up deportations, including proposed measures to send US citizens convicted of violent crimes to foreign prisons, the case of Merwil Gutiérrez serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and consequences of immigration policies in the US.