ICE detains Venezuelan ex-political prisoner after immigration case dismissal
A Venezuelan political prisoner who spent more than three years incarcerated under Nicolás Maduro's regime has been detained in the United States after an immigration judge dismissed his asylum claim. He now faces possible deportation to the same country he once fled, where he was tortured.
Gregory Antonio Sanabria Tarazona, now in his early 30s, was just 20 and studying computer engineering when he was arrested on Oct. 7, 2014 in Táchira, a western state in Venezuela and then moved to a prison in Caracas. He had taken part in La Salida ('The Exit'), a nationwide civil disobedience movement led by opposition figures Leopoldo López, María Corina Machado, and Antonio Ledezma, aimed at removing Maduro from power.
Sanabria Tarazona entered the United States via the southern border in early 2023 and passed a credible fear interview, according to Renzo Prieto, a former National Assembly member and fellow political prisoner in Venezuela. He settled in Dallas, where he worked in construction and air conditioning installation.
According to Prieto he was also granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a deportation protection designation first granted to Venezuelans in 2021 under the Biden administration. He received protection in 2023 after the protection was expanded. However, the Trump administration recently rescinded it, placing him, and more than 350,000 Venezuelans, at risk of deportation.
On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Sanabria Tarazona in Texas. According to ICE records, he is currently being held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe.
La Salida in 2014, marked by widespread unrest and the construction of makeshift barricades known as guarimbas, was fueled by skyrocketing inflation, rampant shortages of food and medicine, insecurity, and political persecution. While the movement ultimately failed to unseat the regime, it left dozens dead and led to the imprisonment of numerous activists.
Following Sanabria Tarazona's arrest, he was subjected to brutal treatment. According to Venezuelan media reports, he was physically and psychologically tortured: interrogated with a bag over his head, shocked with electricity, and beaten and bitten by Venezuelan security agents. He spent more than three years behind bars, including in El Helicoide, the notorious headquarters of Venezuela's political police, SEBIN.
Upon his release on parole in 2018, he was hospitalized. Doctors confirmed moderate cerebral edema and injuries requiring surgery, including a broken nose. That same year, the United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the 'severe beating' he endured and called for an investigation into the use of torture and mistreatment of prisoners at El Helicoide.
The Herald searched public records in Dallas and found no criminal history for Sanabria Tarazona. Although current policy generally protects individuals who have been in the country for more than two years from expedited removal, like Sanabria Tarazona, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown is shifting that interpretation. Immigration authorities are increasingly placing residents into removal proceedings, regardless of how long they have lived in the U.S.. Several legal challenges to this practice are now pending in federal courts.
The Herald requested comments from Homeland Security and ICE regarding the charges against Sanabria Tarazona but has not received a response.
Venezuelan opposition leaders have remained silent about the fate of Sanabria Tarazona following news of his arrest in the U.S. and possible deportation, which could put his life at risk. While Maria Corina Machado defended Sanabria Tarazona during his imprisonment in Caracas—when he was beaten by guards—she has remained silent now that he faces deportation. The Herald requested comments from Comando con Venezuela in Miami, which represents Machado in Florida, but has not received a response.
While Sanabria Tarazona's family has remained silent out of fear Prieto has publicly denounced his detention and urged U.S. authorities to reconsider. In a post on X wrote:
'Gregory is one of the young people who fought for democracy in Venezuela,' the message reads. 'He was imprisoned, tortured, and persecuted by the criminal gang that holds power in our country hostage. His cause was shared by leaders like Antonio Ledezma, as well as numerous students and opposition activists.'
'Gregory Sanabria needs and deserves international protection' said Prieto. 'His life is in danger if he is deported to Venezuela.'
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