Professional soccer player deported to 'world's worst prison' after tattoo is mistaken for something else

A professional soccer player has been deported to the 'world's worst prison' due to one of his tattoos and social media posts.

Jerce Reyes Barrios is a player and children's soccer coach from Venezuela, who was detained after taking part in a Maduro regime protest earlier this year.

After fleeing his home country, Barrios arrived at the Mexican border in September 2024, using the CBP One app, which was a mobile application largely used under Biden to enhance border processing, allowing migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry.

After arriving in the US, Barrios' attorney, Linette Tobin, has said that the footballer has now been deported to El Salvador due to one of his tattoos, which depicts a soccer logo.

According to reports, the Department of Homeland Security has claimed Barrios tattoo is gang-affiliated. They have also said that a photo of Barrios depicts him displaying gang signs.

Tobin has said that the tattoo features a crown on top of a soccer ball with the word 'Dios' meaning God. Meanwhile, ABC News has revealed that a declaration from the tattoo artist confirms it was chosen as it closely resembles Real Madrid's logo.

“In reality, he chose this tattoo because it is similar to the logo for his favourite soccer team, Real Madrid,” said Tobin.

It is reported that Barrios has no criminal record, however, he has allegedly been accused of being a Tren de Aragua - also known as TdA - member.

Jerce Reyes Barrios is a footballer and coach (Instagram/@jercereyes)

Tobin explained that although Barrios had a hearing set for next month, on March 15 he was deported to El Salvador.

"Counsel and family have lost all contact with him and have no information," Tobin wrote in court documents.

Last weekend, Trump claimed the Tren de Aragua gang were invading the US, and made the decision to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, allowing him to deport non US citizens.

Hundreds have now been sent to a prison in El Salvador, known as The Terrorism Confinement Center, and despite a federal judge banning the deportations, the flights were already in the air when the ruling came through.

A senior DHS official told UNILAD in a statement: "Jerce Reyes Barrios was not only in the United States illegally, but he has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating TdA gang membership.

"His own social media indicates he is a member of the vicious TdA gang. That all said, DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo and we are confident in our findings."

Barrios has reportedly been deported to a prison in El Salvador (Alex Peña/Getty Images)

The prison itself was visited by CNN’s David Culver who spoke of the ‘spartan’ conditions inmates are expected to live in.

Culver and his team reported that cells are unlike American prisons in that they are ‘built to hold 80 inmates’ or more. As well as this, inmates are held for 23.5 hours a day, far from the expected ‘luxuries’ of American prisons.

Culver reported: “The only furniture is tiered metal bunks, with no sheets, pillows or mattresses … an open toilet, a cement basin and plastic bucket for washing and a large jug for drinking water.”

Currently it is believed between 10,000 and 20,000 prisoners are housed there with the 261 people shipped to the country by Trump’s administration believed to be the newest inmates.