Venezuelan man deported to CECOT prison sues U.S. for $1.3 million

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A Venezuelan antheral who was deported from the U.S. and detained successful the notorious CECOT prison successful El Salvador past twelvemonth has go the archetypal known ex-prisoner to writer the U.S. for damages, filing a lawsuit successful national tribunal Tuesday seeking astatine slightest $1.3 cardinal successful compensation.

In an interrogation with CBS News, Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, 28, described the months helium spent astatine the situation arsenic "total hell."

The Venezuelan antheral said helium and his chap detainees were perpetually beaten and mistreated by situation guards. He recounted having to portion the aforesaid h2o helium and different prisoners bathed in. Prison guards besides told him helium would beryllium determination for 90 years, helium said.

"There came a constituent erstwhile I thought astir hanging myself with the expanse they gave us," Leon Rengel told CBS News successful Spanish.

Leon Rengel was 1 of respective 100 Venezuelan men deported by the U.S. to El Salvador, wherever they were held incommunicado successful CECOT for astir 4 months. They were freed successful a captive swap successful July 2025.

A study by researchers astatine Human Rights Watch found the CECOT prisoners endured months of carnal and intelligence abuse, including immoderate cases of intersexual assault. It determined that their clip successful CECOT amounted to "arbitrary detention" and "torture" nether planetary law.

Leon Rengel's lawsuit, filed successful U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks the tribunal to grant him astatine slightest $1.3 cardinal for what his lawyers accidental was mendacious imprisonment and intentional infliction of affectional distress.

"For 4 months, Plaintiff languished successful CECOT, during which clip helium was beaten by guards, subjected to inhumane and overcrowded conditions arsenic good arsenic utmost intelligence trauma, denied capable aesculapian care, and held without interaction with his household oregon immoderate ineligible counsel," the first-of-its-kind suit said.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, oregon LULAC, a civilian rights group, helped Leon Rengel record the lawsuit, which follows an administrative ailment filed connected his behalf with the Department of Homeland Security past year. The claims person been filed nether the Federal Tort Claims Act.

"What happened to Adrián Rengel is government-sanctioned torture and a nonaccomplishment to admit his humanity due to the fact that helium happened to beryllium an immigrant," said Juan Proaño, the main enforcement serviceman astatine LULAC. "He deserves his time successful court."

"I've ne'er been a pack member"

The Trump medication deported Leon Rengel and 237 different Venezuelan men to El Salvador successful March 2025, portion of a bid of removals that garnered planetary attraction and sparked a ineligible conflict successful the U.S.

The U.S. deported immoderate of the men with small to nary owed process nether a 1798 wartime instrumentality known arsenic the Alien Enemies Act, accusing the men of being violent, unsafe criminals and members of the Tren de Aragua gang. The legality of the administration's usage of the wartime powers to summarily expel the deportees continues to beryllium litigated successful national court.

Despite the administration's claims, a "60 Minutes" and CBS News investigation recovered galore of the Venezuelan deportees did not person immoderate transgression record, and that the bulk did not person charges oregon convictions for convulsive offenses. The men person besides denied having pack ties.

Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel successful an undated photo.

After traversing the Darién Gap and respective Latin American countries, Leon Rengel said helium utilized a Biden medication programme for asylum-seekers, called CBP One, to participate the U.S. successful 2023 astatine an authoritative introduction point, with the government's permission.

Leon Rengel was arrested erstwhile successful the U.S. aft a postulation halt and pleaded blameworthy to a misdemeanor for possession of cause paraphernalia successful Texas, documents show. Leon Rengel said the car wherever the worldly was recovered was not his. He said helium paid a tiny fine.

Beyond that misdemeanor, Leon Rengel's lawyers said helium has nary transgression history, and that helium was deported contempt having an progressive migration lawsuit and lacking a deportation order. Justice Department records reviewed by CBS News bash not database a deportation bid for Leon Rengel and amusement helium had an migration tribunal proceeding scheduled for April 2028.

Leon Rengel said helium was identified arsenic a Tren de Aragua pack subordinate due to the fact that of a tattoo connected his near manus of a lion with a hairsbreadth clipper connected its mouth. He said helium has chopped hairsbreadth successful the U.S. and Venezuela, and denies having immoderate pack ties. Other erstwhile CECOT prisoners person likewise said they were accused of pack rank due to the fact that of their tattoos.

"I've ne'er been a pack member, nor a subordinate of a transgression group," Leon Rengel said. "Never."

In a connection to CBS News, DHS maintained that Leon Rengel has links to Tren de Aragua. But the bureau declined to stock grounds to enactment its claim, saying doing truthful would "undermine" nationalist security.

"This amerciable alien was deemed a nationalist information menace arsenic a confirmed subordinate of the Tren De Aragua pack and processed for removal from the U.S.," DHS said.

A national justice successful Washington, D.C., precocious ordered the Trump medication to facilitate the instrumentality of the Venezuelan men deported nether the Alien Enemies Act, starting with those successful 3rd countries similar Colombia, truthful they tin beryllium fixed the owed process helium recovered they were denied successful the U.S. That bid is present nether entreaty aft being challenged by the Justice Department.

But Leon Rengel, present backmost successful Venezuela, said he's not funny successful returning to the U.S., fixed his experiences successful migration custody there. Instead, helium said he's focused connected clearing his name.

He said his deportation and detention were violations of his "human rights."

"We went to the United States, a state wherever each laws are followed, and they were obligated to travel the ineligible process," helium added.