Was a man named Jerce Reyes Barrios, described as a soccer player from Venezuela on social media, deported from the U.S. to El Salvador? The story was reported by ABC News, citing the man's attorney. Filings in U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. spell out Barrios' account. Here is what we know so far.
The story appeared in a post published on Facebook on March 20, 2025. It opened: "Let all THAT sink in, America. This should be front-page news EVERYWHERE." It continued:
This is Jerce Reyes Barrios. ABC News reports that Trump just deported him to a prison gulag in El Savador notorious for human rights abuses for the 'crime' of having a Real Madrid soccer ball tattoo. Trump's ICE brownshirts idiotically claim that his tattoo is 'proof' that Jerce is in a Venezuelan gang. Jerce is a professional soccer player and father of three who entered the U.S. LEGALLY seeking asylum after the Maduro regime tortured him for protesting: He has NO CRIMINAL RECORD, and has NOT been charged with a crime. So Trump just DEFIED A COURT ORDER TO send an INNOCENT man who was in this country LAWFULLY to a foreign prison to be TORTURED. LET ALL THAT SINK IN, AMERICA!
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Mar 20 19:10:51 2025 UTC)
On March 20, 2025, ABC News indeed reported the story (archived here). The news article mentioning by name Jerce Reyes Barrios was published under the title:
Man deported to El Salvador under Alien Enemies Act because of soccer logo tattoo: Attorney.
The piece cited the man's legal representative Linette Tobin (archived here) who told ABC News that "she submitted records from Venezuela that indicated Barrios had no criminal record in his home country and was employed as a professional soccer player and children's soccer coach". However, according to her, Barrios was transferred to Texas between March 10 and March 11, 2025, and was deported to El Salvador on March 15, 2025.
Lead Stories confirmed the existence of the her court filing in Barrios' case (archived here):
(Source: Court Listener screenshot taken on Thu Mar 20 20:25:04 2025 UTC)
(Source: Court Listener screenshot taken on Thu Mar 20 20:.25:14 2025 UTC)
The filing was a part of a larger case J.G.G. v. TRUMP (1:25-cv-00766) challenging the Trump Administration's removal of Venezuelan men in immigration custody under the Alien Enemies Act.
Lead Stories contacted Barrios' attorney and the Department of Homeland Security for further comments and we will update this story, as appropriate, when they respond.
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