ICE deports Venezuelan father from Texas to West Africa: A situation "I don't wish on anybody"

August 28, 2026 / 11:37 AM EDT / CBS News

ICE deports Venezuelan father from Texas to West Africa: A situation "I don't wish on anybody"

TL;DR

  • Carlos Tellez Sanchez, a Venezuelan man living in Texas, was deported to Liberia, West Africa, leaving his family behind.
  • He had been granted protection from returning to Venezuela by an immigration judge, but this did not prevent deportation to another country.
  • Tellez Sanchez entered the U.S. illegally five years ago and had no criminal convictions beyond civil immigration violations.
  • He spent eight months in ICE detention before his deportation.
  • The deportation occurred during a period of intensified immigration enforcement under President Trump.
  • The Department of Homeland Security did not provide an explanation for why Liberia was chosen.