Richard Duarte Rodriguez, a 24-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, was living in Miami, Florida, working to support his family back home in Venezuela and his two children in Peru. After crossing the US border in 2023, he was detained, released with an ankle monitor, and granted a work permit. However, during a regular check-in in January 2025, Richard was detained by ICE and sent to a prison in El Salvador without charges or due process. His family, who insist that Richard is not involved in any criminal activity, are fighting to get him released and returned home. They are working to raise global attention to his situation in hopes of securing his release from the foreign prison, known for its harsh conditions and lack of medical care.
Richard Duarte Rodriguez is a 24-year-old Venezuelan immigrant from a remote area nine hours by road from Caracas, the capital. He is the father of two young children who live in Peru. A hardworking, honest, good young man, according to his uncle, Luis Duarte, he crossed the US border in 2023, was held in a detention center, and was released with an ankle monitor. He then moved to Maimi, Florida where he lived with his aunt and her children and was granted a work permit in the United States.
“Stay calm, papi. They’ll remove that ankle monitor at any time. That’s normal because it’s a monitoring measure, and they’ll remove it soon,” His mother, Esperanza Rodriguez remembers telling Richard at the time.
According to a friend he met soon after arriving in Florida, everything was new to Richard: the streets, the cars, the food. He was full of awe and joy, constantly filming his surroundings, laughing at American consumerism, and lovingly mocking how Americans “have one of everything.” He loved pizza, bread, McDonald’s (despite warnings from his friend Brian), and dreamed of trying Popeyes and Taco Bell for the first time.
Richard was working in the US to benefit his family, many of who were living in extreme poverty in Venezuela. According to Esperanza, he worked for a painting company in the United States, and with what Richard earned in the U.S., he supported his two children, his mother, and his four uncles with special needs. According to his friend, Brian, Richard spoke on video chat with his children in Peru every night, without fail. They were his reason to keep going. It didn’t matter if he was exhausted from work, or if they had only a few minutes
Richard was moving through the immigration process, but on January 19, 2025, at his regular check-in, Richard was detained by ICE and placed in detention. “He was under supervision, had to report regularly — and during one of those check-ins, immigration detained him, took all his belongings, put him in jail, and sent him to El Paso, Texas,” said Richard’s father, Alexander Duarte, on social media.
Richard’s parents both have said definitively that their son is not a criminal and has nothing to do with the gang, Tren de Aragua.
“No, my son is not a criminal. My son was a Christian, an evangelical. He went to church with his aunt. My son is not a criminal, never. He was raised with respect,” Esperanza said with tears.
Richard called his relatives while detained. He told them he was going to be sent back to Venezuela. But then, “his aunt, who is in the United States, told me [he had been sent to CECOT prison in El Salvador] and sent me the video. And I recognized him by his face — it was my son,” said Esperanza. It was at that point Richard’s family knew he had been sent without charges or due process to a foreign prison, where beatings are regular, prisoners are not allowed contact with anyone including lawyers or family, and no medical care is provided.
Since then Richard’s friends and family have been struggling to get the attention of the world. They need our help to get Richard out of that prison and back with his family where he belongs.
Richard Duarte Rodríguez es un inmigrante venezolano de 24 años de una zona remota a nueve horas por carretera de Caracas, la capital. Es padre de dos niños pequeños que viven en Perú. Según su tío, Luis Duarte, es un joven trabajador, honesto y bueno. Cruzó la frontera de EE. UU. en 2023, estuvo detenido en un centro de detención y fue liberado con un monitor de tobillo. Luego se mudó a Miami, Florida, donde vivió con su tía y sus hijos y le otorgaron un permiso de trabajo en los Estados Unidos.
“Quédate tranquilo, papi. Te quitarán ese monitor de tobillo en cualquier momento. Eso es normal porque es una medida de monitoreo, y pronto lo quitarán”, recuerda Esperanza Rodríguez haberle dicho a Richard en ese momento.
Según un amigo que conoció poco después de llegar a Florida, todo era nuevo para Richard: las calles, los autos, la comida. Estaba lleno de asombro y alegría, constantemente grabando su entorno, riéndose del consumismo estadounidense y burlándose cariñosamente de cómo los estadounidenses “tienen uno de todo”. Le encantaba la pizza, el pan, McDonald’s (a pesar de las advertencias de su amigo Brian) y soñaba con probar Popeyes y Taco Bell por primera vez.
Richard trabajaba en EE. UU. para beneficiar a su familia, muchos de los cuales vivían en extrema pobreza en Venezuela. Según Esperanza, trabajaba para una empresa de pintura en los Estados Unidos, y con lo que Richard ganaba en EE. UU., mantenía a sus dos hijos, a su madre y a sus cuatro tíos con necesidades especiales. Según su amigo Brian, Richard hablaba por videollamada con sus hijos en Perú todas las noches, sin falta. Ellos eran su razón para seguir adelante. No importaba si estaba exhausto del trabajo, o si solo tenían unos minutos.
Richard estaba avanzando en el proceso de inmigración, pero el 19 de enero de 2025, en su registro regular, Richard fue detenido por ICE y puesto en detención. “Estaba bajo supervisión, tenía que reportarse regularmente, y durante uno de esos registros, inmigración lo detuvo, le quitó todas sus pertenencias, lo metió en la cárcel y lo envió a El Paso, Texas”, dijo el padre de Richard, Alexander Duarte, en redes sociales.
Ambos padres de Richard han afirmado definitivamente que su hijo no es un criminal y no tiene nada que ver con la pandilla Tren de Aragua.
“No, mi hijo no es un criminal. Mi hijo era cristiano, evangélico. Iba a la iglesia con su tía. Mi hijo no es un criminal, nunca. Fue criado con respeto”, dijo Esperanza con lágrimas.
Richard llamó a sus familiares mientras estaba detenido. Les dijo que iba a ser enviado de regreso a Venezuela. Pero luego, “su tía, que está en Estados Unidos, me dijo [que lo habían enviado a la cárcel CECOT en El Salvador] y me envió el video. Y lo reconocí por su rostro, era mi hijo”, dijo Esperanza. Fue en ese momento cuando la familia de Richard supo que lo habían enviado sin cargos ni debido proceso a una prisión extranjera, donde las golpizas son regulares, a los prisioneros no se les permite contacto con nadie, incluidos abogados o familiares, y no se brinda atención médica.
Desde entonces, los amigos y familiares de Richard han estado luchando por llamar la atención del mundo. Necesitan nuestra ayuda para sacar a Richard de esa prisión y devolverlo con su familia, donde pertenece.
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