A federal judge in Texas has set a deadline for the U.S. government to locate a Venezuelan man, Widmer Agelviz-Sanguino, believed to have been deported to El Salvador under contentious circumstances.
Agelviz-Sanguino, 24, lost contact with his family and attorneys following his detention in Houston last year.
The orders from U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison came after Agelviz-Sanguino’s family became concerned for his well-being after learning about his potential deportation through a March news article outlining the deportations of over 200 Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador.
According to his attorney, Javier Rivera, Agelviz-Sanguino had previously undergone a comprehensive vetting process as part of the refugee resettlement program before his detention.
On Monday, Judge Ellison required that officials confirm Agelviz-Sanguino’s whereabouts by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
In a Tuesday court filing, Senior Bureau Official Michael Kozak of the U.S. Department of State acknowledged that inquiries had been made to the Salvadoran government by the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, but a response had not yet been received.
It remains unclear what steps Judge Ellison will take next in the absence of timely information from the government.
Another deadline was established for Wednesday afternoon, requiring the government to facilitate communication between Agelviz-Sanguino and his legal team.
However, U.S. officials sought an extension for this deadline as well, as noted in court records.
Furthermore, a third deadline set for Thursday obligates government officials to disclose the measures taken to comply with Ellison’s orders, particularly concerning arrangements with Salvadoran authorities.
Rivera expressed skepticism about the government’s willingness to comply with the second and third deadlines.
He said, “I expected U.S. officials would comply with the order detailing Agelviz-Sanguino’s whereabouts, but I’m less inclined to believe they will fulfill the orders on communication facilitation and the disclosure of relevant agreements between the U.S. and El Salvador.”
Should the government fail to comply, Rivera indicated that his legal team may consider appealing the case to a higher court.
Despite the potential for appeal, Rivera believes that the current deadlines will likely push the matter to a resolution within the week.
The U.S. attorney’s office has remained tight-lipped on the case, stating only that it had no further information apart from what is publicly available in court records.
Agelviz-Sanguino’s predicament arose from his tattoos, which he displayed upon arriving at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston with his family last fall.
U.S. customs officials flagged him based on the belief that the tattoos—depicting an owl, a clock, and a rose garden—are symbols linked to a Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua.
The legal team is disputing this assertion in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, raising important questions about the grounds for Agelviz-Sanguino’s detention and subsequent deportation.
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