Jerce Reyes Barrios, a Venezuelan soccer player and coach, was deported to a prison in El Salvador after being detained in the U.S. following his participation in a protest against the Maduro regime. Barrios, who entered the U.S. via the CBP One app, was deported due to a tattoo of a soccer logo, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed was gang-affiliated. The tattoo, featuring a crown on a soccer ball with the word “Dios,” was confirmed by the tattoo artist to resemble Real Madrid’s logo. Barrios has no criminal record but was reportedly linked to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. His attorney, Linette Tobin, stated that Barrios was deported on March 15, 2024, despite a scheduled hearing next month.

Barrios was sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center, known as the “world’s worst prison,” in El Salvador. This facility houses between 10,000 and 20,000 inmates in harsh conditions, with prisoners confined for 23.5 hours a day in cramped cells. Despite a federal judge’s order halting deportations, Barrios was among 261 people sent there under Trump’s administration. DHS officials defended the deportation, citing gang ties and social media evidence of Barrios’ affiliation with TdA.