Donald Trump’s administration has deported more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act (Image: undefined)
A Venezuelan footballer was sent back to El Salvador after being suspected of being a dangerous gang member due to a misunderstood tattoo. Jerce Reyes Barrios, 36, was in the U.S. awaiting a decision on his asylum application when he was apprehended by agents who believed he was part of Tren de Aragua – a transnational narcoterrorist and criminal organisation from Venezuela – last September.
The authorities cited one of his tattoos as the reason for his arrest, alleging it indicated gang affiliation. Tren de Aragua has been labelled a foreign terror group by Trump. The contentious tattoo is of a football with a crown, rosary, and the word “Dios,” which translates to God in Spanish.
According to Barrios’ lawyer, Linette Tobin, his tattoo artist confirmed that the design was inspired by the logo of his favourite football team, Real Madrid, not gangs. A representative for the Department of Homeland Security informed the New York Post that Barrios’ detention was based on more than just one tattoo, with DHS agents also referring to a social media post they discovered which depicted him making a gesture using his thumb, index finger and pinkie. Tobin explained that this gesture is commonly used to signify “I love you” in sign language or “rock n’ roll.”
Despite officials being “confident” in their assertion that Barrios was gang-affiliated, subsequent evidence such as the lack of a criminal record, employment letters, and a statement from his tattoo artist saw him removed from maximum security. Later though, without prior notice, Barrio’s counsel Tobin explains he was moved from San Diego to a Texas facility, reports Irish Star.
Agents believed Barrios was part of Tren de Aragua – a transnational narcoterrorist and criminal organization from Venezuela (Image: undefined)
Shockingly, on March 15, Barrios became one among over 200 Venezuelans deported under the controversial Alien Enemies Act by Trump’s administration. A dark twist saw a pact made with El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele to incarcerate these migrants at a notorious local prison.
Alarmingly, since his deportation, Barrios’ lawyer and family have been in the dark; they’re unable to make contact or ascertain his wellbeing, casting doubt over his upcoming April 17 asylum hearing in San Diego. “He has never been arrested or charged with a crime,” Tobin stressed in a recent affidavit.
In a startling revelation on Facebook last week, Barrios’ uncle disclosed it was only through viral videos, wielded by the Trump administration as a boast of expelling violent Venezuelan gang operatives, that the family learned of Barrios’ fate as he appeared among those filmed.
“We were surprised to see him in the videos being released on social media of those deported to El Salvador,” Jair Barrios revealed. He clarified that while his nephew’s tattoo, featuring a crown, is also a symbol used by a notorious Venezuelan gang, Jerce’s ink is strictly football-related.
The goalkeeper was also a coach for children (Image: undefined)
“It should be noted that Jerce is a soccer player, and most of his tattoos are related to his love for soccer and his family,” Barrios explained. “For example, he has a crown on top of a soccer ball. This crown is associated with the Tren de Aragua criminal group. He found out about this when he was already detained in the U.S.”
Barrios, who was a professional footballer for Perijaneros Fútbol Club in Zulia and coached children before fleeing Venezuela last year, was allegedly subjected to detention and “tortured” in a “clandestine building” after protesting against President Nicolás Maduro’s government in February and March 2024, according to Tobin.
Tobin further stated that Barrios legally approached the U.S.-Mexico border using the CBP One app – a system implemented under the Biden administration to help migrants arrange asylum hearings and request entry at the border – in September 2024 and presented himself as scheduled. Despite this, he was taken into custody.
Trump has since shut down the CBP One app after reclaiming the presidency in January, and Barrios has vanished from sight. Although his lawyer and relatives know he’s been deported to El Salvador, details about his current situation remain elusive.
“Counsel and family have lost all contact with him and have no information” regarding his location, Tobin noted in legal filings.
Yet, Barrios’ aunt, Ayari del Carmen Pedroza Guerrero, confided to ABC News that she spotted her nephew in images from the infamous CECOT maximum security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, identifying him by a unique scar on his hand. “I wake up and I say, ‘My God he must be sleeping on a cold floor. How is he doing?’ You can imagine the thoughts I have,” she expressed.
The footballer, who is also a dad, has not been mentioned to his young children as being jailed in El Salvador, where he faces at least a year of compulsory labour. However, they did see a video of his daughter fondly talking about her father.
“I love him so much…he always tells me fairy tales and we always go to soccer games together” she said in the footage. “He loved me so much and always made me my breakfast of bread, eggs, and juice. I love you so much, dad.”
