Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Kidnapping 18 Children, Where Are They?

The Venezuelan children were allegedly taken into custody as their parents were detained by ICE, but DHS won’t answer for them

Photo by Christine Ellsay on Unsplash

NOTE: Minutes before publishing, a video posted on X shows seven Venezuelan children being welcomed to Venezuela by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and First Lady Cilia Flores. This brings the total of Venezuelan children in custody to 25, down from 32, according to Cabello. Based on the names mentioned in the video, two of the seven children are possibly part of the group of 18: Kendra de los Ángeles Salas Torre (12) and Gloriannys Daniela Molina Machado (1). I’d like to think my putting pressure on DHS helped here, but I may never know for sure.

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Venezuelan parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez said in late June that 18 Venezuelan migrant children were separated from their parents by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The children were allegedly taken into custody after their parents were either detained or deported without them. Rodriguez demanded their return, arguing that detaining migrant children without court orders violates international norms and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It’s worth noting that the United States has never ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Venezuelan government has formally asked the White House for the return of the children. Earlier this year, DHS separated a young girl from her parents after the agency deported them and claimed the parents were members of Tren de Aragua. The girl was placed in foster care through DHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), but has since been returned to her mother in Venezuela.

“They took innocent people on Marco Rubio's orders, where they deceived Venezuelans by saying they would bring them to Venezuela," said Rodríguez during a June 30 press conference. “It is unacceptable that we have Venezuelan children kidnapped in the United States, little angels. How is it possible that our children cannot be with their families? There is nothing more painful than being separated from a son, from a daughter,” Rodriguez continued. “We demand that they return our children to us. What crime could any of those children have committed? There is no justification.”

While Rodriguez stated that the Venezuelan government intends to employ all established legal and multilateral mechanisms to demand the return of the children, it’s unclear if the administration will honor the rules, laws, and diplomatic channels without a court ordering the children’s return to Venezuela. However, Rodriguez suggested that Venezuela will also explore other international channels beyond the initial formal appeals.

“'We have 18 migrant children kidnapped by the U.S. and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) does not speak out about it,'' said Rodríguez in June. “We demand that the U.S. Government return our boys and girls to us; we will achieve it, sooner rather than later, we will achieve it, and the children will return to their homes, where they never should have been taken from.''

I have reached out to the DHS and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at Health and Human Services (HHS) asking about the children, their whereabouts, and their well-being. I have received no response. According to Rodriguez, the children have now been in DHS custody for over a month, and their families in Venezuela have little information about them. I also reached out to the Venezuelan government for any updates and received no response as of this writing.

Questions now arise surrounding the Flores Settlement Agreement in 1985, which resulted from a lawsuit challenging the conditions in juvenile migrant detention facilities. The decision sets minimum standards for their care and limits the time they are allowed to be held to no more than 20 days. The settlement also requires that children be placed in the least restrictive setting possible and requires the immediate release of migrant children to parents, family members, or appropriate guardians whenever possible.

List provided by the Venezuelan government of the 16 of the 25 remaining children being held in the US:

• Mía Zamara Suárez Rodríguez – 4 years old

• Miran Alejandro Salas Torre – 4 years old

• Ashlei Yassiel Hernández Peña – 6 years old

• Alanna Sophia Ballesteros Herrera – 1 year old

• Nicol Ireni Briceño Santana – 6 years old

• Alitz Irene Durán Uzcátegui – 3 years old

• Marelbis Valentina Parra Castellano – 9 years old

• Cristian Hurtado – 3 years old

• Yoleider Yoel Hernández Caricote – 11 years old

• Suseiner Hernández – 7 years old

• Aron Daniel Peña Cáceres – 9 years old

• Sofía Guillén Monserrat – 2 years old

• Aidan Isaac Acuña Marín – 4 years old

• Ethan Manuel Padilla Moyetones – 2 years old

• Richmari Inciarte Carrasquero – 12 years old

• Reiner Inciarte Carrasquero – 10 years old

This is a developing story.

I’ve been on DHS about cases like this, and I won’t stop.

Arturo is an independent journalist whose work can be found at Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, Latino Rebels, and more. Arturo is also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support his work, become a paid subscriber or donate via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.