CNN
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Venezuela is demanding that the US deport their parents and put the infant in government detention before returning the two-year-old girl back to her family.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of “tears” Maykelis Antonella Espinoza Bernal on Monday, saying that he was separated from his mother while boarding a deportation flight to Venezuela.
The girl’s father, Maker Espinoza Escarona, also said that she had been deported by the United States to the infamous prison in El Salvador.
“(USA) has once again committed the very serious crime of separating the family and removing minors from her emotional environment.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied that it had lured the girl and claimed it was trying to protect her from her parents. She accused the United States of America without evidence that it is part of Tren DeLagua (TDA), a Venezuelan gangster who designated terrorist organizations.
His father believes he was accused of being a gang member because he had tattoos, but according to a declaration of oath filed in court in early March, he denied that he had nothing to do with the gang. CNN asked Maikelys’ mother, Yorely Escarleth Bernal Inciarte about the allegations.
In a statement Saturday, DHS said the infant was removed from the deportation flight list “for her safety and welfare.” She added that she was under the control of the Refugee Resettlement Office (ORR) and was placed with foster parents.
The toddler is one of several children affected by the Trump administration’s immigrant crackdown. Last week, three US citizen children, including a four-year-old with quantitative cancer, were taken to Honduras with their undocumented mother as a woman was deported by immigration and customs enforcement. White House border emperor Tom Homan said the US had eliminated their children as their mother “requested” to stay with them rather than staying in the country.
It is unclear whether Makelis’ mother was given the option to be deported with her daughter.
When asked for more information, DHS called on CNN in a statement released on Saturday. CNN also contacts ORR for details on the Maikelys case.
The infant and her parents entered the United States in May 2024 to seek asylum, according to court documents filed by legal advocacy groups.
The Maker, who was deported under the Biden administration last July, said he and his partner had declared that he and his partner had been placed in immigration detention while his daughter was under ORR’s control. Between October and March, the couple visited their daughters weekly first-person visits, Maker said. CNN contacted his lawyers with details of his detention and deportation order.
On March 29th, the maker was sent to a naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to court documents filed by the lawyers.
They said he flew to the infamous Cecot Mega-Prison in El Salvador the next day. The United States uses it to detain hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants.
CNN has contacted the Salvador government for details on the incident, but has not yet received a response.
The mother of the infant was deported shortly after the maker was sent to El Salvador. Venezuela said she was forced to return to her country while flying without a two-year-old child.
The girl was placed under ORR’s custody and said DHS “will not allow this child to continue to be abused and exposed to criminal acts that put her safety at risk.”
Without providing evidence, in a statement on Saturday, the father was during TDA who oversaw various crimes, including murder and human trafficking, and the mother oversaw recruitment for young women for drug smuggling and prostitution.
Venezuela accused the United States of violating international law and said all legal and diplomatic measures are needed to ensure the girl’s return.
The government called for the “immediate release” of children and the “restored the rule of law and fundamental rights of our little girls.
cited the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This states that children should not be separated from their parents unless such separation is necessary in the child’s best interest. The United States has signed the treaty but has not ratified it.
CNN contacted DHS to comment on the Venezuela charges.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has argued that the United States is unfairly harboring children. He announced that the march for International Labor Day on May 1 would be a rally calling for her release.
“Please ask for the full support of the Venezuelan people to rescue this temptated girl and get back to El Salvador, and 252 Venezuelans who were temptated in Caracas, referring to the Venezuelan immigrants who had employed Venezuelan immigrants, and seek the full support of the Venezuelan people to rescue this temptated girl and get her safe and healthy.
CNN’s Carol Alvarado, Mounira Elsamra and Ivonne Valdés contributed to this report
