A 35-year-old Venezuelan man who resided in Texas for years is now nearly 6,000 miles away from his wife and 5-month-old American son following his deportation to West Africa by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Carlos Tellez Sanchez, who had been living in the U.S. since 2021 after fleeing his home country, was sent to Liberia—a nation he stated he had never heard of until shortly before his departure.
Tellez Sanchez described a harrowing experience, noting that he was placed in handcuffs for the 15-hour flight across the Atlantic. He is currently stranded in a remote area of the country, spending most of his time in a hotel located more than an hour away from Monrovia, the capital. He is being housed alongside other deportees from nations including Brazil, Colombia, and Honduras.
Reflecting on his situation during a video call, Tellez Sanchez expressed his disbelief, stating, “I do not understand how a country that considers itself a global hero can act this way towards a human being.” He characterized his current predicament as a “very difficult situation” that he would not wish upon anyone.
Before his detention, Tellez Sanchez maintained a quiet life in Dallas, working days at a car dealership and nights as an Uber Eats driver to support his family. He has no known criminal record beyond civil immigration violations. His brother, Juan Tellez, expressed confusion regarding the government’s decision to send him to Liberia, noting that the family has received no clear explanation for the choice of destination.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Tellez Sanchez was previously deported before re-entering the country illegally in 2021. He was subsequently released under the Biden administration until his arrest by ICE during a routine check-in appointment on December 19. DHS officials claimed he refused multiple opportunities to be removed to Mexico and was therefore sent to a “safe third country” on August 19.
According to DHS, federal law requires the government to identify a secure nation for individuals who refuse to return to their home countries. The agency added that those who choose to return home are offered a free flight and a $3,000 payment, emphasizing that the choice remains with the individual. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been actively establishing “third country” deportation agreements with various nations, including some considered dangerous, such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
The legal complexity of his case is compounded by a 2021 ruling from an immigration judge, which granted Tellez Sanchez protection from being returned to Venezuela due to the risk of persecution. However, this legal safeguard did not prevent ICE from deporting him to a different country. As he remains in Liberia, Tellez Sanchez currently has no clear plan for his future. The report also notes that with ICE making a record number of arrests, president Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has intensified this summer. The report also notes that increasingly, some detainees are being sent to countries that are not their own and banished to far-flung places. The report also notes that illegally five years ago, is one of them. The report also notes that in December 2025, Tellez Sanchez was detained by ICE during what he expected would be a routine immigration appointment. The report also notes that he described his brother as a good person and a hard worker who “doesn’t deserve what happened to him. The report also notes that the U.S, in a statement to late Friday. The report also notes that once before crossing the southern border illegally in 2021.
