In brief
Luis Alberto Castillo, a Venezuelan migrant, was detained and sent to Guantánamo Bay after seeking refuge in the United States. His family asserts he is not part of any criminal group and instead fled Venezuela's dire circumstances, highlighting the discrimination he faces due to his nationality.
Luis Alberto Castillo, a father from Venezuela, embarked on his journey to the United States hoping to provide a brighter future for his son. He arrived just one day before Donald Trump assumed the presidency for a second term on January 19, 2025. By February 4, Castillo found himself on a flight to Guantánamo Bay, a site notorious for its detention of terrorism suspects. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the individuals sent to Guantánamo were deemed "the worst of the worst," allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization. However, Castillo's sister, Yajaira Castillo, strongly refuted this characterization. Speaking from Colombia, she tearfully insisted that her brother is an ordinary man who escaped Venezuela to escape dire economic conditions, not a criminal.“My brother is not a criminal,” Yajaira stated. “This is all discrimination and xenophobia, just because he’s Venezuelan.” As the ramifications of U.S. immigration policies continue to unfold, the Castillo family is left grappling with the harsh realities of their situation, which they believe exemplifies the larger issue of scapegoating migrants fleeing desperate circumstances.
