Authorities focused on his tattoos—one marking his daughter’s birth and another representing his trade—which they associated with gangs. In March, Franco called his wife in tears, saying he was being deported. Days later, Johanny learned he had been secretly sent to CECOT prison in El Salvador, despite no ties to gangs or charges filed. His name appeared on a leaked list of deportees.
Franco’s detention left Johanny homeless for weeks before finding shelter with family in New York. The couple’s hopes for a new life in the U.S. were shattered. His attorney described the deportation as a grave violation of due process and justice.
Franco José Caraballo Tiapa, 26, and his wife, Johanny (22) fled their hometown of Yaracuy, Venezuela, after rallying in support of political leaders opposed to President Nicolás Maduro. They were roughed up by presidential loyalists and fled Venezuela.
Franco and Johanny crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2023 to claim asylum. They passed their “credible fear” interviews, received immigration court instructions and were released.
Franco had attended all his court-ordered ICE check-ins and recently had his ankle monitor removed. So his wife, Johanny, and his attorney, Martin Rosenow, were stunned when he showed up to federal immigration offices in Dallas on Feb. 9 for another check-in, and agents detained him.
While Franco was in detention in the U.S., authorities became interested in a series of tattoos he had, particularly one of a stopwatch inked on his left arm, Rosenow said. The watch shows the time his 4-year-old daughter, Shalome, was born. Franco, a longtime barber in Venezuela who was cutting and styling hair in Sherman, Texas, near Dallas, before he was detained, has another tattoo of a razor on his neck, which represents his trade but also caught the eye of authorities.
Then in March, Franco called his wife in tears to say he was told he was being deported, despite not having a criminal record. They assumed he would be going to Venezuela. Johanny says Franco was confused because he had a pending asylum claim and a court date set for the following Wednesday.
She said Saturday morning, March 15, 2025, she looked him up on an online U.S. government immigration system where detainees’ locations are logged and saw that it said he was no longer listed as being at a detention center. She spoke with Franco’s family in Venezuela who told her they had not heard anything. By 7 p.m. on Saturday, she was desperate for information. Then at around 11 p.m., she saw news reports about deportations from the United States to El Salvador.”I’ve never seen him without hair, so I didn’t recognize him in the photos,” she said. “I just suspected he’s there because of the tattoos that he has, and right now any Venezuelan man with tattoos is assumed to be a gang member”, she added, citing also the fact that he had effectively gone missing.
She got confirmation that Franco had been sent to the Salvadoran torture prison, CECOT, when his name appeared on the list of men sent there accused of being gangsters. Johanny said her husband has never been a member of Tren de Aragua or any gang.
“I was in complete shock,” his attorney, Martin Rosenow, told USA TODAY. “He was complying. He was reporting to ICE. He doesn’t have a criminal record. He was not supposed to be deported.”
Johanny became homeless after Caraballo’s arrest in February and lived in their car for several weeks. A family member recently brought her to live with them in New York.
The couple was hopeful they’d win asylum and carve out a new life in the U.S. For now, that dream has been shattered, Rosenow said.
“Our core belief is that you’re innocent until proven guilty,” Rosenow said. “That’s been completely violated here.”
Articles:
- ‘Deported because of his tattoos’: has the US targeted Venezuelans for their body art?
- Meet 5 Alleged gang members Trump Administration Sent to El Salvadoran Mega Prison
- CBS Mornings Venezuelan migrant deported from U.S. to El Salvador has no criminal record, documents show
- Relatives of missing Venezuelan migrants desperate for answers after US deportations to El Salvador
Franco José Caraballo Tiapa, de 26 años, y su esposa Johanny, de 22, huyeron de su ciudad natal en Yaracuy, Venezuela, después de participar en manifestaciones en apoyo a líderes políticos opositores al presidente Nicolás Maduro. Fueron agredidos por simpatizantes del régimen y decidieron abandonar el país.
Franco y Johanny cruzaron la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos en 2023 para solicitar asilo. Pasaron sus entrevistas de miedo creíble, recibieron instrucciones de la corte de inmigración y fueron liberados.
Franco había cumplido con todas sus citas obligatorias con ICE y recientemente le habían retirado el grillete del tobillo. Por eso, tanto su esposa como su abogado, Martin Rosenow, quedaron impactados cuando, el 9 de febrero de 2025, Franco acudió a una cita de rutina en las oficinas de inmigración en Dallas y fue detenido por los agentes.
Mientras estaba detenido en EE.UU., las autoridades comenzaron a mostrar interés por una serie de tatuajes que tenía, en particular uno de un cronómetro en su brazo izquierdo, que marcaba la hora del nacimiento de su hija de 4 años, Shalome. Franco, barbero de profesión en Venezuela y también en Sherman, Texas (cerca de Dallas), tenía otro tatuaje de una navaja de afeitar en el cuello, que representaba su oficio, pero que también llamó la atención de las autoridades.
En marzo, Franco llamó a su esposa llorando para decirle que le habían informado que sería deportado, a pesar de no tener antecedentes penales. Ambos asumieron que sería enviado a Venezuela. Johanny contó que él estaba confundido, ya que tenía un caso de asilo pendiente y una cita en la corte programada para el miércoles siguiente.
El sábado 15 de marzo de 2025, Johanny buscó a Franco en el sistema en línea del gobierno estadounidense que indica la ubicación de los detenidos, y vio que ya no aparecía como detenido. Habló con la familia de Franco en Venezuela, quienes no sabían nada. Para las 7 p.m. del sábado, estaba desesperada por información. Luego, alrededor de las 11 p.m., vio reportes de deportaciones desde EE.UU. hacia El Salvador. “Nunca lo había visto sin cabello, así que no lo reconocí en las fotos”, dijo. “Solo sospeché que estaba allí por sus tatuajes, y ahora mismo cualquier hombre venezolano con tatuajes es asumido como miembro de una pandilla”, agregó, señalando además que él había desaparecido.
La confirmación llegó cuando el nombre de Franco apareció en la lista de hombres enviados a la prisión de tortura salvadoreña CECOT, acusados de ser pandilleros. Johanny insistió en que su esposo nunca perteneció al Tren de Aragua ni a ninguna pandilla.
“Quedé en completo shock”, dijo su abogado Martin Rosenow a USA TODAY. “Él estaba cumpliendo. Se reportaba con ICE. No tiene antecedentes penales. No debía haber sido deportado”.
Después del arresto de Franco en febrero, Johanny quedó sin hogar y vivió durante varias semanas en su auto. Un familiar la llevó recientemente a vivir con ellos en Nueva York.
La pareja tenía la esperanza de ganar el asilo y construir una nueva vida en Estados Unidos. Por ahora, ese sueño se ha hecho trizas, dijo Rosenow.
“Nuestra creencia fundamental es que uno es inocente hasta que se demuestre lo contrario”, afirmó. “Eso se ha violado por completo en este caso”.
Artículos:
- ‘Deported because of his tattoos’: has the US targeted Venezuelans for their body art?
- Meet 5 Alleged gang members Trump Administration Sent to El Salvadoran Mega Prison
- CBS Mornings Venezuelan migrant deported from U.S. to El Salvador has no criminal record, documents show
- Relatives of missing Venezuelan migrants desperate for answers after US deportations to El Salvador
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