ICE deports a former colonel accused of torturing opposition supporters under the Maduro regime to Venezuela
Members of the Venezuelan community identified him after he appeared as an extra in the Spanish-language television show "Mi Familia Perfecta," where he played a police officer.
Venezuelan flag flying in La Guaira/ Raúl Arboleda
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the deportation to Venezuela of Rafael José Quero Silva, a former colonel in the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) accused of participating in the repression and torture of protesters opposed to the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement, ICE confirmed that Quero Silva was deported on August 18, in compliance with a removal order issued by a U.S. immigration judge. Agents from ICE Miami, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Center for Operations Against Human Rights Violators and War Crimes carried out the operation.
"ICE officers continue to remove human rights violators to their home countries," Matthew Elliston, director of the Miami regional office of the Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), said.
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"This removal reflects the outstanding work of ICE Miami, HSI Miami, FBI Miami and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. We are committed to public safety and national security, and to ensuring the United States does not become a safe haven for individuals who participated in persecution, torture or other serious human rights abuses," he added.
The story of Quero Silva's arrest
Quero Silva entered the United States on June 20, 2016, through Miami International Airport on a tourist visa. According to ICE, he subsequently failed to leave the country in accordance with the conditions of his admission.
However, immigration authorities arrested him on February 27, 2025, in Miramar, Florida. His presence in the United States had drawn attention years earlier. Members of the Venezuelan community identified him after he appeared as an extra in the Spanish-language television show "Mi Familia Perfecta," where he played a police officer. The appearance helped victims and activists locate the former military officer and provide information to U.S. authorities. The FBI subsequently interviewed victims of the repression to investigate the allegations against the former military officer.
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