“I Survived CECOT”: Andry Hernández Romero On A 125-day Ordeal After A Trump Deportation
We have covered Andry Hernández Romero’s case from the first reports of his transfer to El Salvador’s mega-prison. This week, he spoke at length about what kept him alive, what went wrong with his case, and what comes next. His account to Tim Miller at The Bulwark tracks with what investigators and rights groups have been piecing together for months.
Hernández Romero left Venezuela and asked the United States for asylum, citing persecution based on sexual orientation. He was held while his case was reviewed. In March, U.S. officials labelled his tattoos as gang-related and put him on a flight to El Salvador, where he and more than 200 other Venezuelans were locked inside the Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. The transfer used the Alien Enemies Act, a centuries-old law, to fast-track removals. Did officials rely on sound evidence or quick assumptions? Court filings and reporting suggest the latter.
“I really have no words to thank you for all the love you have shown me,” he told Miller, describing a daily routine of prayer and careful adaptation to the people around him. He said he entered CECOT believing he was being deported to Venezuela and learned the truth only after landing. He confirmed abuse inside the prison and is holding details on legal advice. “We entered as 252 strangers and we left as 252 brothers,” he said.
After roughly four months, the men held in CECOT were flown to Venezuela on July 18 in a three-country swap that also freed 10 Americans from Venezuelan custody. El Salvador said it handed over all Venezuelans in its custody. Venezuela said 252 men were released. U.S. officials continued to claim gang links for many, while families and reporters challenged those claims.
CECOT was built for President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang campaign. Rights groups and journalists have documented deaths in custody, allegations of torture, and near-total control of information from inside the facility. For many readers, the hardest fact to square is simple: asylum seekers with pending cases were sent to a prison designed for mass incapacitation. At DNA, we think that deserves ongoing public accounting.
Where Andry is now.
He is back with family in Venezuela, rebuilding his life and staying in touch with many of the men he met in CECOT. He has begun taking makeup bookings again and says faith and community kept him going. “There’s a Venezuelan here who loves the United States,” he said, adding thanks to those who supported him. We will keep following his case and any legal moves tied to his detention.
ICE is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that detains and removes people under U.S. immigration law. CECOT is the Spanish acronym for Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, known in English as the Terrorism Confinement Centre.
