Neiyerver Adrian Leon Rengel
Adrian Leon Rengel was admitted into the US in June, 2023. In March he was sent to CECOT in spite of having no criminal record.
Arrival in US
Neiyverver Adrian Leon Rengel came to the US through the southern border after scheduling an immigration appointment through the CBP app. He carried a phone, his barber tools and a mission to build a future for his 6 year old daughter, Isabel, living in Venezuela. Prior to emigrating to the US, Adrian lived in Colombia for six years where national police have confirmed he had no criminal record.
Once accepted into the US, he picked up odd jobs and cut hair. He met Alejandra Gutierrez, also a Venezuelan migrant, and built a life with her and her daughter.
Detained and deported
On March 14, his birthday, Adrian was leaving for a hair cutting gig when federal agents detained him in the parking garage of their Irving, TX apartment. According to Gutierrez, they did not have an arrest warrant. They asked him to lift his shirt and show his tattoos. As with others deported, the agents claimed the tattoos linked him to the Tren de Aragua gang. They took his documents and took him away. Initially held briefly in East Hildago Detention Center in La Villa, TX, his alien number, which allowed a way to track his whereabouts , vanished two days later from ICE’s online system. Gutierrez was informed he had been deported to his home country, but Adrian was not in Venezuela.
Criminal activity
In November, 2024, Adrian was a passenger in a car that was pulled over. He was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, a non-jailable misdemeanor under Texas law. He later pled guilty to possession of marijuana and paid a $492 fine with no jail time or probation.
Venezuelan men are being targeted for their tattoos. Adrian has several including the names of his mother and daughter, a barbershop, a tiger, and a lion. None are affiliated with gang membership.
Found in El Salvador
Adrian’s brother Alejandro joined Gutierrez in searching for Adrian for a month. Different ICE offices offered different responses. Sometimes they were told Adrian was still in detention. Another time they were told he had been deported back to his country of origin,ElSalvador, even though Adrian is Venezuelan. His mother visited a detention center in Caracas where deportees are held when they arrive from the US but was told he was not there. They enlisted the help of advocacy groups, but received no answers. For 40 days his family has been waiting to hear his fate. Finally on April 22, DHS confirmed that Adrian was indeed in El Salvador, though they have not confirmed that he is in CECOT.
The administration has said that Adrian entered the country illegally and is associated with Tren de Aragua. When asked for documents supporting their allegations, they responded that they would not be sharing intelligence reports that would undermine national security.
What can you do?
Continue to put pressure on your representatives to demand the release of Adrian and other deportees who received no due process afforded to them by the US Constitution before deportation to El Salvador: Click here to find your State Representative; Click here to find your Senator.
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