In brief
Ricardo Prada Vásquez, a 32-year-old Venezuelan delivery worker, made a fateful navigation error leading to his detention and deportation. Despite being expected to be repatriated, he has disappeared without a trace, leaving family and friends worried.
In late January, Ricardo Prada Vásquez was delivering food in Detroit when he accidentally drove onto the Ambassador Bridge, which connects to Canada. This mistake led to his detention by U.S. immigration officials as he tried to re-enter the United States. On March 15, after being held in Texas, he communicated with a friend about relying on being sent back to Venezuela. However, instead of being returned home, he, along with other Venezuelan migrants, was shipped to El Salvador, where they were placed in a maximum-security prison. Unlike others, Prada’s name did not appear on the official list of deportees, nor is he visible in released footage. His last contact was a brief conversation with a friend in Chicago, who fears for his own safety and has spoken anonymously. The situation has raised serious concerns about the rights of immigrants and the transparency of deportation processes. "He has simply disappeared," his friend emphasized, underlining the alarming reality these vulnerable individuals face.
