Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accuses the U.S. of systematically separating migrant families, citing the forced separation of a mother from her 2-year-old child during deportation flights under anti-immigrant policies.

Related:

Venezuelan Migrant’s Disappearance in US Exposes Shortcomings of Deportation System

Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, has launched a scathing critique of U.S. immigration enforcement, accusing Washington of orchestrating the forced separation of Venezuelan migrant children from their parents as part of what he calls a “dehumanized strategy” tied to human trafficking networks. The allegations follow the repatriation of 199 Venezuelans from El Paso, Texas, including the case of Yorelis Bernal, whose 2-year-old child was allegedly seized by U.S. authorities moments before her deportation.

Cabello detailed Bernal’s case during his radio program Sin Truco Ni Maña, stating that U.S. officials prevented her child from boarding the repatriation flight, forcibly separating the pair despite her protests. “They are kidnapping children under the guise of immigration control,this is criminal,” Cabello asserted, linking the incident to broader allegations of child trafficking involving far-right Venezuelan actors. The minister further claimed that similar practices occurred historically under figures tied to Venezuela’s opposition, including the family of far-right leader María Corina Machado.

Preguntó:
Había necesidad de coger tus trapos y cruzar el Darien buscando algo que no conoces para que arriesgases tu vida y la de tus hijos!!?
Ahora resulta que también están robándose los niñitos de Venezuela en EEUU
Hasta donde se puede ser más cabeza hueca pic.twitter.com/3bwpYSpu15

— 🇻🇪 PATRIA ARMADA🇻🇪 El ESEQUIBO es de VENEZUELA (@Patria8Esequibo) April 25, 2025

The text reads: Was it necessary to grab your belongings and cross the Darién Gap searching for something you don’t even know, risking your life and your children’s lives? Now it turns out they’re even stealing Venezuelan children in the U.S. How much more mindless can you be.

Repatriated Migrants Report Abuse and Neglect

The latest group of returnees, arriving in Caracas on March 28, 2025, included individuals with untreated fractures allegedly inflicted by U.S. detention staff. Cabello condemned the “deliberate denial of medical care” as part of a strategy to demoralize detainees, emphasizing that Venezuelan authorities provided immediate post-arrival healthcare. Of the 178 migrants on that flight, only 10 had minor criminal records unrelated to organized crime, countering U.S. claims linking returnees to groups like the extinct Tren de Aragua.

Cabello demanded the U.S. repatriate “complete families” and disclose the whereabouts of children like Bernal’s son, whose current status remains unknown. Venezuelan officials also denounced the use of tattoos or migrant status to justify xenophobic detention practices. The accusations come amid heightened tensions over U.S. deportation flights, which Cabello alleges serve as cover for human rights abuses

EN ESTA NOTA: