A 2-year-old girl was reunited with her Venezuelan family on May 14 after her parents, whom the federal government accuses of being members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, were deported from the United States.
The toddler, Maikelys Espinoza Bernal, arrived in Venezuela on a repatriation flight alongside more than 220 U.S. deportees and was greeted by Venezuela’s first lady, Cilia Flores.
Later, the child was reunited with her mother, Yorely Escarleth Bernal Inciarte, and maternal grandmother at the presidential palace alongside Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro thanked the U.S. government for facilitating the return of the child.
“We must be thankful for all the efforts, for [Trump special envoy] Rich Grenell for his efforts ... and thank Donald Trump too,” Maduro said, calling the girl’s return “an act of justice.”
The couple was placed in immigration detention, while their daughter was placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an office within the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the court filings.
In March, the toddler’s father, Maiker Espinoza-Escalona, was among those deported from the United States to CECOT, a maximum security prison in El Salvador, according to the Venezuelan government.
The child’s mother was later deported on a flight to Venezuela in April.
Venezuela’s socialist government had called for the child to be returned to the South American nation and alleged the U.S. government had “kidnapped” the child.
DHS Says Parents Are Members of Violent Gang
According to the statement, the toddler’s father is a lieutenant in the gang who “oversees homicides, drug sales, kidnappings, extortion, sex trafficking, and operates a torture house.”The child’s mother “oversees recruitment of young women for drug smuggling and prostitution for Tren de Aragua,” the department said.
“These criminal illegal aliens entered the country illegally and had final orders of removal from a judge,” the statement reads.
The department said that the child was taken off the deportation flight manifest and not returned to Venezuela with her mother for her own “safety and welfare.”
It said the child was placed with a foster family.
Espinoza-Escalona’s family has denied claims that he is associated with Tren de Aragua.
“ICE defers to the government of Venezuela to advise if the child is with the mother or in government custody, but at least we know the child will not be with her TDA father who operated a torture house and oversaw homicides, drug sales, kidnappings, extortion, and sex trafficking for the criminal gang—Thanks to President Trump, this terrorist gang member is locked up in CECOT,” DHS said.
The Epoch Times has contacted DHS for further comment.
