Relatives of missing Venezuelan migrants desperate for answers after US deportations to El Salvador

[SunSeeker]

Source: Reuters

The Trump administration has provided few details so far on the identities of those who were deported. But Solanyer Sarabia believes she saw her 19-year-old brother, Anyelo, among images shared online of the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador's mega-prison. His head had been shaved and he was dressed in white prison garb.

Solanyer said an ICE officer told her that her brother was detained because of a tattoo that linked him to Tren de Aragua, a violent gang with Venezuelan prison origins that has spread through the Americas. She said the tattoo depicted a rose and that he had gotten it in a tattoo parlor in Dallas. "He thought it looked cool, looked nice, it didn't have any other significance," she said, stressing that he is not a gang member.

Johanny Sanchez, 22, suspects her husband Franco Caraballo, 26, who was detained in Texas, could now be in El Salvador, but does not know for sure.

Sanchez says Caraballo called her on Friday at around 5 p.m. to tell her he would be deported to Venezuela. He was confused because he had a pending asylum claim and a court date set for Wednesday.



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/relatives-missing-venezuelan-migrants-desperate-answers-after-us-deportations-el-2025-03-17/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3za96N3hqjQbhrb159_oh174CnBr-ZkKcxulU8axUKszSLwtAj2b3Mjq4_aem__CwfHkflppUDQ2dJpm3TiA

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It appears that any Venezuelan men with tattoos are assumed to be a gang members, regardless of their immigration status. Both of the men described in the article were here legally as asylum seekers.

[electric_blue68]

1. This is So wrong. And a rose as a gang symbol, ffs?! How many rose tats are there out there?

Maaaaybe a certain style of a rose could make sense.

Sure, genuine gang members who have done crimes should be in prison. These men haven't even been tried yet.

I'm pretty sure many are innocent victims of drumphf's machinations. They, and they families must be pretty terrified.

[milestogo]

2. If they are going to be deported for crimes, there should be criminal convictions.

A tattoo means nothing. A person can get a tat without fully understanding its implications, and an artist can create a tat without knowing the implications.

People have been known to get in trouble because they accidentally wore gang colors.

[electric_blue68]

5. Absolutely, about convictions. Plus people have Gotten Rose Tats Forever, pretty sure!

And pretty sure most of those rose tats are innocent imagedry. Unless there's something about rose tats I don't know about?

Oh, yeah, I've definately heard about people accidentally wearing gang colors m, and getting into trouble!

ETA
OK So I just googled "negative associations of rose tatoos".... and I see there might be at least a few possible connections. Maybe on a rare occasion a I've seen photos of such, but rare enough to not be remembered.

"Here's a breakdown of potential negative meanings:
Black Roses:
Traditionally, black roses symbolize death, mourning, and the end of a relationship.
Roses with Thorns:
The thorns can represent pain, sacrifice, or the darker side of beauty.
Gothic and Punk Subcultures:
In these contexts, roses can symbolize themes of loss, rebellion, and defiance.
Context Matters:
The meaning of a rose tattoo can be influenced by its placement, surrounding elements, and the individual's personal interpretation. ".
👍

[milestogo]

6. Roses are used in religious symbolism too:

In Christian symbolism, the RED rose stands for the blood shed by Jesus on the CROSS; it has also become a symbol for earthly love, a tradition which continues today.
The rose may represent the Virgin Mary, and thus virginity, or fertility and passion.

[electric_blue68]

7. Got it. Ty

[SunSeeker]

8. Here's what the USBP Chief says are Tren de Aragua tattoos (spoiler alert: not roses!):

Link to tweet

[EarthFirst]

3. An overwhelming number of tattoo artists will refuse gang-related or hate symbol tattoos...

…they will be vocal about it and have a sign posted saying such.

Gang tattoos are often provided in two places: prison and private clubhouse/house party events.

I don't buy that a shop in Dallas would have provided this service to this young man.

Good luck to these families struggling to find answers…

[SunSeeker]

4. He got a rose tattoo, the national flower of the USA, designated so by Reagan in 1986.

Rose tattoos have got to be the most common tattoos in the world.