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Venezuelan toddler returned to the US after parents were deported
A Venezuelan toddler who was held in the United States after her parents were deported is now back in Venezuela. The return was celebrated as a great victory.
Venezuelan toddler returned to the US after parents were deported
A Venezuelan toddler who was held in US custody after her parents were deported has been returned to Venezuela. Maikely's Antonella Espinoza Bernal landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport on Wednesday on a repatriation flight from the United States.
The return to Venezuela
Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores carried the two-year-old girl in her arms as she announced the girl's return at a news conference at the airport. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello declared: “Today we have a great victory.” Venezuela had been demanding the return of the girl from the United States for weeks and accused US authorities of kidnapping her.
Accusations and reactions
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the accusation, arguing that the family was separated to protect Maikelys from her parents, who were allegedly, without evidence, part of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) criminal group. Maikelys' mother firmly rejected this claim.
In March, the father, Maiker Espinoza-Escalona, was deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, the Venezuelan government reported. The mother, Yorelys Bernal, was later deported on a flight to Venezuela without her daughter.
Reuniting with family
On Wednesday, the girl was reunited with her mother and grandmother at the presidential palace in Caracas. The state television channel showed Bernal crying with joy as she held her daughter tightly in her arms. President Nicolás Maduro said Venezuelan officials had cooperated with lawyers and human rights groups in the United States to secure the girl's return. "I must, in fairness, thank Ambassador Richard Grenell, the special envoy of (US) President Donald Trump, for his efforts. And also President Donald Trump," he added. “There have been and will be differences, but with God’s blessing it is possible to move forward.”
The separation of the family
The toddler and her parents entered the United States in May 2024 to seek asylum, according to a court filing by legal groups. After their arrival, the couple were taken into extradition custody while their daughter was placed in the care of the Office for Refugee Settlement (ORR). The father stated in an affidavit that they had weekly visits with their daughter until his deportation in July.
On March 29, Espinoza was sent to a Marine base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where DHS transfers migrants. According to court documents, he was flown the following day to El Salvador's notorious Cecot prison, which the U.S. uses to hold hundreds of Venezuelan migrants it accuses of being violent gang members, although no hard evidence has been presented.
The toddler's mother was deported to El Salvador shortly after her father was deported. She was forced to return without her 2-year-old child, Venezuelan authorities said. The girl remained in ORR's custody, with DHS stating, "We will not allow this child to be abused and continue to be exposed to criminal activity that threatens her safety."
Bernal said she suspects U.S. authorities linked her to Tren de Aragua based on her tattoos, which she said only document her family's birth dates.
This story is evolving and will be updated.