Venezuela probes disappearance of deported migrant Ricardo Prada
3 Min Read
Ricardo Prada's disappearance follows a similarly controversial case involving Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported under gang affiliation charges.
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Image shows a picture of Ricardo Prada widely circulating on social media (@ReporteYa)
Venezuelan prosecutors announced Wednesday the launch of an official investigation into the disappearance of Ricardo Prada, a Venezuelan national who went missing after being detained and deported by US authorities. His case has drawn renewed attention to the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, particularly its use of controversial detention and deportation measures.
Prada, a 32-year-old delivery driver residing in Detroit, had legally entered the United States in November 2024 through the CBP One humanitarian parole program. His arrest came in January 2025 after he accidentally crossed into Canada while working. Upon attempting to return to the US, he was taken into custody and later classified by the Department of Homeland Security as allegedly affiliated with the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, a claim disputed by his family and not substantiated in court.
On March 15, Prada contacted a friend, informing them that he was being held in a maximum-security facility in Texas and expected to be deported to Venezuela. "After which his whereabouts are unknown," Venezuela's Public Ministry said in a statement. US authorities later confirmed he had been deported, but declined to say where he was sent.
MP designa fiscalía para investigar desaparición del venezolano Ricardo Prada en EE.UU.
— Rocio (@Rocio1277187) April 23, 2025
Este miércoles, se designó una fiscalía especializada para investigar la desaparición forzada del ciudadano venezolano, Ricardo Prada, quien fue deportado desde Estados Unidos pic.twitter.com/8TwAG6GShH
The Venezuelan government suspects he may be among the over 250 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador, where the US has paid the Bukele administration millions of dollars to detain migrants, many in the notorious CECOT prison, a high-security complex originally built to incarcerate gang members. However, according to The New York Times and the Venezuelan prosecutor's office, "Prada was not in that group," further deepening the mystery surrounding his fate.
Read more: Salvador's Bukele proposes prisoner swap for Venezuelan deportees
The incident has highlighted growing concerns about the use of the Alien Enemies Act by the Trump administration, which allows rapid deportation of individuals deemed security threats without due process. Human rights organizations have condemned the opaque deportation practices and the use of facilities known for inhumane conditions.
Prada's disappearance follows a similarly controversial case involving Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported under gang affiliation charges. Both Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele have refused to return him despite public outcry. Bukele has since floated the idea of exchanging Venezuelan deportees for political prisoners held by Nicolas Maduro's government.
The Maduro administration claims that, under a bilateral agreement with the Trump administration, it has repatriated 2,557 nationals to date, some directly from the United States, others from countries like Mexico, where they were stranded by restrictive US immigration policies.
Another repatriation flight was scheduled to arrive later on Wednesday.
