José Daniel Simancas Rodríguez, a Venezuelan national, found himself entangled in a complex web of immigration detention and deportation that took him from the United States to the infamous Guantanamo Bay. Initially detained in the U.S., Simancas spent eight days in a federal prison followed by nine months at a U.S. Immigration Service Detention Center in El Paso, Texas, awaiting deportation. However, his journey took an unexpected turn when he was sent not to Miami, as he was told, but to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Simancas was among 177 Venezuelans deported by the United States who were transferred to Guantanamo Bay. His ordeal began with suspicions of gang affiliation due to his tattoos, linking him to the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua—a claim he vehemently denies. During his 15-day stay at Guantanamo, he was detained alongside 14 others, kept in handcuffs, and subjected to constant surveillance. He experienced harsh conditions, allowed only two showers and provided three small meals daily, which left a lasting negative impression.
The suspicion that led to Simancas's detention stemmed from his tattoos, which officials associated with Tren de Aragua. Interrogated by officials about his alleged connections to the gang, Simancas faced isolation in a cell furnished with only a sheet and pillow. He described his experience as deeply dehumanizing.
“I had already completely given up,” – José Daniel Simancas Rodríguez
Simancas recounted the psychological toll of his detention.
“That’s what torture is, confinement. You are not alive. You are there and you are not alive, where you don’t know if it is day or night, you don’t really know the time, you are eating poorly, every day that you are there you are dying little by little. I cried every day during those 15 days.” – José Daniel Simancas Rodríguez
His testimony highlights the mental anguish endured by detainees, suggesting that the conditions were designed to instill trauma.
“I have spoken with everyone and they tell me that they do not sleep. If they did all that to prevent one from returning to the country, they succeeded. They wanted to give us a trauma, they succeeded,” – José Daniel Simancas Rodríguez
The Trump administration had previously declared Guantanamo Bay as a holding site for "the worst of the worst." However, court filings later revealed that not all individuals sent there posed a "high threat." Simancas's case exemplifies this discrepancy.
Before arriving in the U.S., Simancas had lived in Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica, working in construction—a trade he intended to continue in America. His aspirations were abruptly halted by his deportation.
Simancas's release from Guantanamo eventually led him to Honduras before being picked up by a plane from Venezuela's state airline Conviasa. His return to Venezuela raises questions about the treatment and categorization of deportees.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addressed the deportees' situation, emphasizing their potential contribution to society upon their return.
“They are not criminals, they are not bad people, they were people who emigrated as a consequence of the sanctions [of the United States] … in Venezuela, we welcome them as a productive force, with a hug of love,” – Nicolas Maduro
