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British Man Fears Miami Holiday Could Turn into Guantanamo Bay Detention Due to Tattoo Misidentification
A UK resident is concerned his family vacation to Miami might transform into an extended stay at Guantanamo Bay after a tattoo on his arm was mistakenly included in a US government document used to identify members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA). Pete Belton, 44, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, discovered an image of his forearm tattoo in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document intended to help officials recognize alleged members of the international criminal organization. This incident raises apprehension as he and his family plan to visit Miami, a popular holiday destination, in August.
Tattoo Mistakenly Linked to Venezuelan Gang
Belton’s worry stems from the document’s implication that his tattoo – a clock face depicting his daughter’s birth date and time – is associated with the TdA gang. This concern is heightened by recent US government measures targeting gangs, including the transfer of numerous alleged criminals to a high-security prison in El Salvador.
The tattoo, a personal memento for Belton, was featured among nine images in the DHS document, purportedly for “detecting and identifying” TdA affiliates. The document stated that publicly available sources indicate TdA members often display “a combination of the below tattoos,” listing crowns, trains, and stars in addition to clock faces.
Image Originates from Tattoo Artist, Not Gang Affiliation
Investigations by BBC Verify revealed that the tattoo images in the DHS document initially appeared on tattoo-related websites, with no apparent connection to the Venezuelan gang. In Belton’s case, the image of his tattoo was traced back to an Instagram post by a tattoo artist based in Nottingham, UK.
Despite the tattoo’s innocent origin, Belton expressed his anxiety to the BBC, stating, “In my head I’m thinking if I’m working in border force and I saw me walking through I’d think ‘hey up we’ve got one, he’s the one in the document’.”
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Pete Belton, a Briton, is worried that a US document has wrongly associated his tattoo with a Venezuelan gang.
Belton’s tattoo was among nine images included for ‘detecting and identifying’ individuals linked to TdA.
Family Holiday in Jeopardy
The father is now contemplating cancelling his family’s trip to the United States but intends to monitor the situation. “Hopefully now they’d realise I’m not a Venezuelan gangster,” he commented, adding, “but I’ve seen more improbable events occur in the news recently, so we’re just going to wait and observe.”
Guantanamo Bay as Detention Center
Former President Donald Trump had previously announced plans to utilize Guantanamo Bay as a holding facility for 30,000 immigrants, described as “the worst criminal aliens” and individuals “hard to deport.” According to his press secretary at the time, the administration aimed to prevent America from becoming a “dumping ground for illegal criminals.”
While a small detention center at the base already houses migrants intercepted in the Caribbean Sea, larger numbers were expected to be accommodated in tents erected by soldiers and marines.
Experts Question Tattoo Reliability for Gang Identification
Despite the US government’s apparent use of tattoos to identify alleged TdA members, experts have cautioned against relying on body art as a definitive indicator of affiliation with the criminal group.
Trump’s administration had invoked wartime powers to expedite migrant removals, including the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, leading to the deportation of hundreds to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre.
Legal representatives and relatives of some migrants claim that tattoos were a primary factor in labeling individuals as alleged TdA members.
US experts have raised concerns about the reliability of tattoos as identifiers for individuals linked to the TdA criminal organization.
Earlier this year, former President Donald Trump revealed proposals to house 30,000 undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay.
Expert Testimony Denies Tattoo-Gang Link
Rebecca Hanson, a criminology professor at the University of Florida, stated in court documents related to a Venezuelan migrant’s case that there are no established tattoos, symbols, or gestures associated with the Tren de Aragua gang.
“The TdA, and gangs more broadly in Venezuela, do not have a history of using tattoos to indicate membership,” she asserted. “While TdA members may have tattoos, these are not part of a collective group identity.”
Tren de Aragua: A Spreading Criminal Organization
The Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan criminal organization that expanded beyond its national borders following the humanitarian and economic crisis in Venezuela starting in 2014. The group’s operational model involves forming alliances with local criminal entities.
Estimates suggest the TdA has approximately 5,000 members and generates annual profits ranging from $10 million to $15 million.