Toddler Reunited with Family After Being Separated in US Deportation Case Returns to Venezuela
A two-year-old girl who was separated from her Venezuelan parents in the US, where her parents were deported without her, has arrived in Caracas following widespread outrage over her separation from family.
“Welcome, Maikelys,” said First Lady Cilia Flores as she embraced the toddler upon her arrival on a flight that brought Venezuelan migrants, according to images from state TV.
The girl’s mother, Yorelys Bernal, who was deported back to Venezuela in April, was not present at the airport to greet her, but officials indicated that a reunion would happen soon.
The separation of Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal from her parents drew significant attention in the South American country.
President Nicolas Maduro expressed gratitude to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, for facilitating the return of the child to Venezuela.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro speaks alongside the girl’s mother, Yorely Bernal.
In a notably conciliatory manner, he acknowledged that “there have been, and will be, differences” with the Trump administration, yet described the child’s return as a “profoundly humane act of justice.”
The young girl is among several children affected by Mr. Trump’s stringent measures against illegal immigration.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that the girl was placed in foster care to shield her from her parents, whom they claimed were affiliated with Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua criminal gang.
Her mother stated that they were separated from their daughter when they surrendered to US authorities after entering the country illegally in May 2024.
Her father is thought to be part of a group of Venezuelans deported by the US to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT prison.
Girl’s mother alleges they were detained due to their tattoos.
The Trump administration claimed that the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador were members of Tren de Aragua but has offered limited evidence to support this assertion.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Maikelys’ father, Maiker Espinoza-Escalona, was a “lieutenant” in Tren de Aragua who was involved in “homicides, drug sales, kidnappings, extortion, sex trafficking, and operating a torture house.”
It also alleged that the girl’s mother was responsible for recruiting young women for drug smuggling and prostitution.
Bernal, 20, contended that they were detained because of their tattoos, which US officials have associated with gang activities.
Since February, over 4,000 migrants have been returned to Venezuela, with some deported from the US and others from Mexico, where they had congregated with hopes of crossing into the United States.
