ICE Deports 35-Year-Old Venezuelan From Texas to Liberia, Separating Him From 5-Month-Old Son
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 28
ICE Deports 35-Year-Old Venezuelan From Texas to Liberia, Separating Him From 5-Month-Old Son
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 28
Summary
Carlos Tellez Sanchez, a Venezuelan who had lived in Texas since 2021, said ICE flew him nearly 6,000 miles to Liberia after eight months in detention, leaving him apart from his wife and 5-month-old U.S.-citizen son.
A 2021 immigration ruling had protected the 35-year-old from removal to Venezuela, but not to a third country; CBS News found no criminal charges or convictions beyond civil immigration violations.
Tellez Sanchez said he learned only hours before departure that he was being sent to Liberia, a country he had never heard of, and spent the 15-hour flight in handcuffs before being placed in a hotel outside Monrovia.
His case reflects the Trump administration's expanded use of third-country deportation deals with dozens of nations, while DHS did not answer questions on why Liberia was chosen.