Neiyerver Adrian Leon Rengel, 28, is suing the U.S. government in federal court, seeking $1.3 million for what his lawyers say was false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress after he was deported from the United States to El Salvador and held in the notorious CECOT prison.
Leon Rengel, who entered the U.S. legally through a Biden-era CBP One program and has said he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia while in the U.S., was among several hundred Venezuelan migrants deported last year under actions the Trump administration tied to the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The administration accused many of being gang members; a subsequent CBS News and 60 Minutes investigation found that many deported Venezuelans had no criminal records.
According to Leon Rengel and his lawyers, he was secretly held in CECOT for months, where detainees suffered psychological and physical abuse. Human Rights Watch reported that detainees there endured severe mistreatment, including instances of sexual assault. Leon Rengel has described his time at CECOT as “total hell,” saying conditions and treatment drove him to contemplate ending his life; he also said guards forced detainees to drink the same water used to clean cells.
In his complaint, Leon Rengel asks for $1.3 million in damages and is believed to be the first former CECOT detainee to sue the U.S. government over deportations to the Salvadoran prison. He has said his central aim is to clear his name and to challenge the government’s characterization of him as a gang member.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains that Leon Rengel is a member of the Tren de Aragua gang but declined to provide evidence to CBS News, saying disclosure would harm national security. Legal advocates note complications for plaintiffs: a federal judge in Washington, D.C., recently ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Venezuelan men deported under the Alien Enemies Act so they could receive the due process the judge found they were denied on U.S. soil. The Justice Department has appealed that decision, leaving the matter paused while the appeal proceeds.
Leon Rengel was released after a prisoner swap in El Salvador in July; he has returned to Venezuela and filed the federal lawsuit as he seeks legal recourse and to restore his reputation.