Public Ministry investigates forced disappearance of Venezuelan migrant in the United States

Published at: 24/04/2025 09:06 AM

Through an official statement issued by the Public Ministry, the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, began an investigation into a Venezuelan who disappeared at the end of January 2025 in the United States.

Below is the full text of the statement:

Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported that a specialized prosecutor's office has been appointed to investigate the forced disappearance of a Venezuelan citizen deported from the United States

The Public Ministry reports that it has launched an investigation into the forced disappearance of Venezuelan citizen Ricardo Prada, arrested at the end of January 2025 in Michigan and later held in a maximum security center in Texas.

Prada worked as a delivery boy in the city of Detroit and was arrested by US authorities for deportation. At the end of March, Prada informed a friend that he was being held in a maximum-security detention center in Texas, after which his whereabouts are unknown.

A note from The New York Times states that Prada is not among those deported to El Salvador who are arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in the CECOT. The article also states that US authorities reported that Prada was deported, but have not revealed to what destination.

To conduct the investigation, a prosecutor with competence in the protection of human rights has been appointed, who will carry out the necessary steps to determine the whereabouts of our compatriot.

The Public Ministry confirms its condemnation of the treatment that Venezuelan migrants are receiving in the United States and El Salvador, and reiterates that these acts constitute crimes against humanity.

Caracas, April 23, 2025.

Tarek William Saab

Attorney General of the Republic

Mazo News Team