Carlos Tellez Sanchez, a 35-year-old Venezuelan man who resided in Texas for several years, finds himself nearly 6,000 miles away from his wife and 5-month-old American son following his deportation to West Africa by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tellez Sanchez reported that he had no prior knowledge of Liberia until learning of his removal just hours before his flight departed. He spent the 15-hour transatlantic journey in handcuffs and is currently stranded in a remote area of the West African nation.
Speaking via a video call, Tellez Sanchez expressed his disbelief, stating, "I do not understand how a country that considers itself a global hero can act this way towards a human being." He is currently staying at a hotel located more than an hour away from Monrovia, Liberia's capital, where he is being housed alongside other deportees from nations including Brazil, Colombia, and Honduras.
Tellez Sanchez entered the United States illegally five years ago and had been living in the country since 2021 after fleeing Venezuela. During his time in Texas, he supported his family by working at a car dealership during the day and driving for Uber Eats at night. Records indicate he has no criminal convictions, with his only issues involving civil immigration violations. He was detained by ICE in December 2025 during what he believed was a routine immigration appointment and subsequently spent eight months in detention centers.
Although an immigration judge granted Tellez Sanchez protection from being returned to Venezuela in 2021 due to the risk of persecution, this legal order did not prevent ICE from deporting him to a different country. The current administration has recently established "third country" deportation agreements with numerous nations, including some locations considered dangerous, such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
Juan Tellez, the brother of the deportee, stated that he remains unaware of why his brother was sent to Liberia and has received no explanation. He described his brother as a hardworking individual who did not deserve this outcome. In a statement released late Friday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Tellez Sanchez had been deported previously before re-entering the country illegally in 2021. The agency noted that he was released under the Biden administration until his arrest during a check-in on December 19.
DHS officials stated that Tellez Sanchez rejected "several opportunities to be removed to Mexico" and was ultimately removed to a safe third country, presumably Liberia, on August 19. The department added, "If an illegal alien chooses to file a claim in court refusing to go to their home country, we are required by law to find a safe and secure nation for them to go to. If an illegal alien chooses to go home, we will give them a free flight home and a $3,000 check. The choice is theirs." Tellez Sanchez maintains that he has no clear plan in Liberia, describing his situation as one he would not wish on anyone.
"It's a very difficult situation," he said, "one that I don't wish on anybody."
