ICE agents detain wrong teen, deport him to El Salvador despite mistake: "take him anyway"

Merwil Gutiérrez, a 19-year-old with no criminal record, was mistakenly apprehended by ICE agents and sent to a high-security prison in El Salvador.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-04-16

The latest news on the United States. In a move that has raised questions over the rule of law and human rights, US immigration agents detained and deported a Venezuelan teenager to El Salvador even after realising he wasn't the person they were looking for.

Merwil Gutiérrez, who had no gang ties and was awaiting an asylum decision, was swept up during a raid in New York, and then sent to a supermax facility infamous for housing violent criminals, while ICE cited an outdated legal statute to justify the expulsion.

As political tensions grow, President Trump has recently discussed these broader deportation policies with El Salvador's President Bukele, adding another layer of complexity to an already difficult situation. You can learn more about this discussion in the video below.

<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C40cFpRLNOY&ab_channel=GlobalNews</social>

Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele

Back