U.S. Government Accused of Kidnapping Two-Year-Old Venezuelan Migrant

Article Redraft:

Title: Kidnapped! Venezuela Accuses US of Separating Families and Abducting Infant

April 30, 2025 – Caracas (Our Website)

Venezuela is up in arms, castigating the Trump administration for kidnapping Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal, a two-year-old girl, after her Venezuelan parents were separated for nearly a year.

In a scathing statement on Monday, Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced the " abduction by US authorities," strongly criticizing the "despicable practice of family separation" and the deportation of Venezuelans to "horrific detention camp-like conditions in third countries."

The ministry demanded the "instant" return of the child to her 20-year-old mother, Yorely Bernal Inciarte, who was forcefully deported to Venezuela on April 25.

"This is yet another unjustified violation of our migrants' basic rights," the statement declared. It also reproached the "kidnapping with zero legal process" of the child's father, 25-year-old Maiker Espinoza Escalona, who was deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT mega-prison on March 30.

Reports have revealed that the couple (and their daughter) had arrived in Texas in May 2024 and surrendered to authorities. Authorities, it seems, grew suspicious due to their visible tattoos. Since then, the family members had been kept separate, with the child placed in foster care.

The young mother initially believed she would be deported back to Venezuela with her daughter, but on Friday, she was forcibly boarded onto a plane alone. Bernal later discovered that her partner had been transferred first to Guantanamo Bay and then to El Salvador, leaving their baby girl stranded alone in the US.

"Venezuela will employ all legal, political, diplomatic, and multilateral mechanisms [...] for little Maikellys Antonella Espinoza Bernal to return safely to her home," concludes Caracas' searing statement.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) retaliated on Saturday, claiming that the Venezuelan child was taken from her parents' custody following a determination that both parents belonged to the Tren de Aragua, designated as a terrorist organization in the US. However, evidence to support this claim was not provided. DHS maintained that the 2-year-old was being cared for by the Office of Refugee Resettlement and was currently living with a foster family.

Bernal has straightforwardly rebuked the US government to "release evidence" of gang association, asserting that "they're fabricating stories about us." Her mother, Raida, shared that Bernal has tattoos featuring her son's name, flowers, and both her parents' birthdays.

Marly, Espinoza's sister, expressed that her brother has no criminal record and previously ran a barbershop in Venezuela before migrating last year. "My brother is a wide-eyed dreamer, like so many Venezuelans," she added.

Investigations indicate that neither the couple nor their child have a criminal record either in Venezuela or the US, aside from a federal case for improper entry filed in 2024.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned Washington's actions, accusing US authorities of "abduction" and describing their response as "far from credible." He also lambasted international organizations for their silence.

"Tearing a child from her mother's arms solely because she's a migrant is a crime against humanity," Maduro stated.

In mid-March, more than 200 Venezuelans were forcefully deported from the US under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, based on accusations of belonging to the Tren de Aragua. The Trump administration reportedly pays Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele $20,000 per detainee annually to facilitate these expulsions.

Investigations have shown that most of these deported Venezuelans have no criminal priors in the US and did not undergo standard deportation procedures. Caracas has denounced the widespread criminalization of its migrants and asserted that Venezuelan authorities dismantled Tren de Aragua's operations in 2023.

On April 23, Bukele proposed to exchange 252 Venezuelans held in CECOT for the same number of "political prisoners" in Venezuela. The Maduro government rejected this "crafty" proposal, accusing Bukele of committing "forced disappearances," and vowed to continue campaigning for the release of migrants and their return to Venezuela.

The US has planned to move up to 500 Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliation to El Salvador's CECOT detention center.

Last week, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have called upon US District Judge James Boasberg to compel the Trump administration to facilitate the return of 137 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador. This initiative follows efforts by civil rights organizations to safeguard the lawful rights of those Venezuelans still surviving in the US.

The US government has ignored court orders temporarily blocking deportations under the Alien Enemies Act across several federal districts. The Trump administration may potentially face contempt charges due to these disregarded orders.

Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja in Mexico City, Mexico.

Enrichment Data Integration:

The Temporary Protected Status program (TPS) was initially extended to Venezuelans during the Biden administration due to the political crisis in Venezuela but was later under threat of revocation by the Trump administration. The parole program for Venezuelans was also terminated by the Trump administration. Both these immigration programs can significantly impact the livelihood and legal status of Venezuelan migrants in the US. Moreover, the Trump administration has faced criticism for seeking to expedite deportations without ensuring due process for migrants, raising concerns about legal protections for individuals facing removal. Humanitarian aid has been offered to Venezuela and countries hosting Venezuelan refugees by the US, amounting to over $3.5 billion from FY2017 to FY2024.

The US Department of Homeland Security claimed that the deportation of Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal's parents was due to their alleged association with the Tren de Aragua, a designated terrorist organization in the US.
On April 23, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele proposed to exchange 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's CECOT detention center for an equal number of "political prisoners" in Venezuela.
José Luis Granados Ceja, an editor, edited the article about the deportation of Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal and her family, which fell under the general news and crime-and-justice categories.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the US government for their actions, specifically the practice of family separation and abduction of infants like Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal, which he described as a crime against humanity.