Information in this database was sent to CECOT, El Salvador’s largest security prison on March 15th, covering 238 Venezuelan men whose names were first published by CBS News. The man was released last week and returned to Venezuela. (In total, more than 250 Venezuelan men have been jailed and released.)
This database is part of a joint investigation by Propublica, Texas Tribune, and Venezuelan News Outlets Alianza Rebelde Investiga (Rebel Alliance Investigates) and Cazadores de Fake News (Fake News Hunters). To confirm Denner’s identity, we used our date of birth to search the official Venezuelan government database, including the Ministry of People’s Power’s identification database for interior relations, justice and peace. Public database of the National Institute of Social Security. A public database of Venezuela election registrations. The media interviewed dozens of lawyers and supporters representing the men, as well as the families of more than 100 Venezuelan exiles. Interviews were conducted before the men were released, and most were in Spanish.
We have signed a social media account for the man and his relatives, news articles, US government press releases and court documents. To determine what happened in their immigration case, we analyzed records from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement for immigration review.
They also only obtained the data sets the government had about men before they deported them. These datasets included whether they were found guilty of a crime in the United States, pending charges, or whether they were listed as immigrant violations. Some information was missing for the nine men. We searched US public records databases to verify and extend that information. The police, sheriff’s office and county court websites were reviewed. Read court documents. He then submitted dozens of public records requests to law enforcement agencies and court systems across the country. Findings on criminal records are not comprehensive as there is no universal database of claims and convictions.
To find a criminal history abroad, we reviewed records from the official website of the Venezuelan Court of Justice and consulted a global legal database. He also interviewed police officers from Peru, Chile and Colombia. Additionally, we obtained three Venezuelan police databases and the January 2024 Interpol report to create a list of over 1,400 names of Venezuelan gang members, including members of Tren de Aragua. I checked it for 238 male names, but it didn’t match.
We tried to reach out to their relatives and defense attorneys for individuals who flagged the Trump administration as having pending criminal charges or convictions in the United States. If there was a response, I included it.
He also asked the Trump administration about each of these incidents. The administration did not respond to questions about men unless it was mentioned in individual entries.
The database reflects the age of men on March 15th.
