Last Thursday, March 20, the American lawyer Linette Tobin denounced, through a letter filed before the judge James Boasberg of the Washington district, the case of his client: the 36 -year -old Venezuelan professional footballer, Jerce Reyes Barrios, accused of being a dangerous band member Aragua train.
According to Tobin, the President’s administration Donald Trump He decided that Reyes Barrios, who works in the United States as a children’s soccer coach, was a “criminal terrorist” due to a tattoo with the shield of the Real Madrid, Your favorite team. Therefore, it was sent on a flight to the prison of El Salvador.
“Jerce was expelled to the terrorism confinement center (CECOT), located in El Salvador, through one of the flights last Sunday, March 16, in which the United States deported more than 200 Venezuelans”Tobin added, ensuring that his client was denied a decent legal process, Only for having those tattoos.
Judge Boasberg had ordered paralyze The deportations and said that “if the flights had taken off, they had to turn around.” Despite this, the planes did not return, and the White House declared that “when the magistrate issued his opinion, the aircraft had already been out of their jurisdiction By flying over international waters ”.
Tattoos: Gang and deported signal
According to lawyer Linette Tobin, her client, Jerce Reyes Barrios, entered legally to the United States in August 2024, after having requested and obtained an appointment through CBP One, A mobile application of the Office of Customs and Border Protection that received immigrants seeking protection against violence or poverty.
“Jerce had participated in two protests against the regime of Nicolás Maduro in February 2024. In the second he was arrested and tortured in a clandestine building, where he was subjected to Electrochic and drowning with other protesters. Shortly after the arrest, she fled from Venezuela to the United States, ”added the lawyer.
Read more: they stop the immigrant Jeanette Vizguerra, symbol of the fight against Trump’s policies
Reyes, who lacks criminal record In his country of origin, he had requested political asylum in the US to flee persecution in Venezuela. However, without giving him the opportunity to communicate with his family, the immigration and customs control service (ICEfor its acronym in English) he rose him to an airplane and sent him to El Salvador.
Despite the claims by Tobin and the Kings family, the United States government said that on those flights to El Salvador “they only sported dangerous criminals and proven members of the Aragua Train. ”However, US authorities have not yet shown evidence or revealed identities.
In the letter presented to Judge James Boasberg, lawyer Linette Tobin denounced that her client does not have any relationship with the Aragua train, the Venezuelan criminal band that the most conservative sectors of the party Republican They portray as “a dangerous league of malefactors that seek to destroy the US from the inside.”
“ICE tests are erroneous. According to them, the tattoos of Jerce Reyes Barrios represent symbols of this Venezuelan gang, But it is not so. It is a drawing of a ball with a crown, similar to the shield of the Real Madrid, His soul team, ”added the American lawyer, who will continue to defend the Venezuelan footballer.
The Venezuelan Jerce Reyes Barrios was deported to the CECOT, the Terrorist prison of El Salvador because the US authorities believe that this tattoo is proof that he is a member of the Aragua train. His lawyers claim that it is a design with the Real Madrid shield. pic.twitter.com/hgybqxtgho
– David Alandete (@Alandete) March 20, 2025