US News
ICE deports Venezuelan father from Texas to Liberia
A 35-year-old man with no criminal record was sent to West Africa under a third-country agreement, separating him from his American son.
The short version
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Carlos Tellez Sanchez, a 35-year-old Venezuelan national living in Texas, to Liberia in West Africa.
- Although an immigration judge granted him protection from being returned to Venezuela due to persecution risks, third-country agreements allowed his deportation elsewhere.
- Tellez Sanchez, who has no criminal convictions beyond civil immigration violations, is now stranded in a remote area near Liberia's capital alongside other international deportees.
Key facts
- Carlos Tellez Sanchez entered the U.S. illegally in 2021, lived in Texas, worked at a Dallas car dealership, and drove for Uber Eats to support his family.[CBS News]
- An immigration judge granted Tellez Sanchez protection from deportation to Venezuela in 2021 because of persecution risks, but the order did not block removal to other nations.[CBS News]
- Tellez Sanchez was detained by ICE in December 2025 during a routine immigration appointment and spent eight months in detention before being flown to Liberia.[CBS News]
- A review of records found no criminal charges or convictions against Tellez Sanchez beyond civil immigration violations.[CBS News]
- The deportation was executed under 'third country' agreements brokered by the Trump administration with dozens of nations around the world.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to queries explaining why Liberia was selected as the country of deportation for Tellez Sanchez.[CBS News]