British man's tattoo wrongly linked to Venezuelan gang in US Government document
a year ago
- #Tattoo
- #Immigration
- #Misidentification
- A British man's tattoo was mistakenly included in a US government document identifying members of a Venezuelan gang.
- Pete Belton, from Derbyshire, discovered his forearm tattoo in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document linked to Tren de Aragua (TdA).
- Belton's tattoo features a clock face with his daughter's birth date and time, unrelated to any gang.
- The DHS document included nine tattoo images for identifying TdA members, some sourced from tattoo websites without gang connections.
- Belton's tattoo image was traced back to a 2016 Instagram post by a Nottingham tattoo artist.
- The same tattoo appeared in a Texas Department of Public Safety report on TdA activity.
- US authorities use a points-based system, including tattoos, to identify gang members, but tattoos alone are not definitive proof.
- Venezuelan journalist Ronna Risquez stated tattoos do not confirm TdA membership; police investigations are required.
- Cases exist of wrongful deportations based on tattoos, including a Real Madrid-inspired crown tattoo and a makeup artist's 'mum' and 'dad' tattoo.
- Belton and his family are reconsidering their US trip due to potential risks but will monitor the situation.