31-year-old Andry Hernandez Romero is one of over 200 Venezuelan migrants to have been deported to a notorious jail in El Salvador under the wartime Alien Enemies Act without due process in March. Alongside the others, he was accused of being part of the criminal organisation Tren de Aragua from Venezuela.

According to photos taken by Time magazine photographer Philip Holsinger, Hernandez Romero was found at the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) after President Donald Trump reached an agreement with El Salvador’s president. “I’m not a gang member. I’m gay. I’m a stylist,” the photog heard a man saying. He wept for his mother as he was slapped and his head shaved.

Lindsay Toczylowski, Hernandez Romero’s lawyer, said that her client was “in the middle of seeking asylum” when he just disappeared and ultimately missed a court hearing in the US. The attorney now fears for his well-being, especially given his sexual orientation. “It’s horrifying to see someone who we’ve met and know as a sweet, funny artist, in the most horrible conditions I could imagine… We have grave concerns about whether he can survive,” she said, as quoted by CBS News.

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The pictures shot by Holsinger captured two tattoo crowns on Hernandez Romero, which the US immigration officials picked on as supposed evidence of his alleged Tren De Aragua involvement. “These are tattoos that not only have a plausible explanation because he is someone who worked in the beauty pageant industry, but also the crowns themself were on top of the names of his parents,” Toczylowski said. “The most plausible explanation for that is that his mom and dad are his king and queen.”

Andry Hernandez Romero was deported last year

The Venezuelan migrant in question made headlines again this week after the New York Post exclusively broke claims that he had been deported once before. He is believed to have used the CBP One phone app under the Joe Biden regime to enter the US.

Back in Venezuela, the makeup artist worked at the state-run TV station. He reportedly first came into the US in July 2024 by crossing the southern border into Texas, according to the Post. Thereafter, he was booted the country, and he eventually returned to the month after that, as per sources. By August 2024, Romero ended up in California after allegedly using the now-shut-down CBP One app program.

CBS News originally reported his attorney saying that he departed from his home country in May 2024 after his homosexuality and political views opposing Venezeula’s authoritarian government became targets. Earlier this month, it was revealed Andry Hernandez Romero trekked north through Darien Gap, which is a roadless dense forest stretch between Colombia and Panama, to Mexico. Upon reaching there, he sought an appointment seeking asylum in the US. He was eventually taken into custody at a legal border crossing near San Diego. Romero has been documented to have no history of criminal activity.

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Why did the Trump admin deport Andry Hernandez Romero?

Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that the agency’s assessment of Romero went “well beyond gang affiliate tattoos.” They referred to his own social media indicating that he is a member of the criminal organisation. CBS’ 60 Minutes’ reviewed his social media posted that date back a decade. The results showed that Romero posted photos of himself with makeup brushes and a bejeweled crown.

Consequently, his attorney urged the US government authorities to “follow the Constitution” and present the information that they think incriminates Romero so that his legal team could respond to it.

Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, also noted that even experts have said that tattoos are “not a reliable indicator of whether you’re part of this particular gang.” Crime analysts suggested that though members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang can be identified by the means of signature tattoos but the same can be said for Tren De Aragua.

What more do we know about Andry Hernandez Romero’s personal life

Hernandez’s close childhood friend Reina Cardenas said that while growing up in Venezuela he discovered an early love for theatre, costume design and makeup, according to NBC News. He would also participate in his small town’s annual festival for Three Kings Day. His family has since said that the tattoos were a symbol of the festival.

This festival in question has been a century-old tradition in Romero’s hometown of Capacho in western Venezuela. “Andry dedicated his life to arts and culture, and he worked hard to better his craft,” Cardenas said.

Jose Manuel Mora, yet another friends of Morero’s, who is a tattoo artist, applied his crown tattoos. He confirmed, “They had a special meaning because of the festival in Capacho.” Hernandez wasn’t the only one to have gotten these symbols tattooed as Mora noted that they were a “trend” between 2017 and 2019, adding, “I must have done about 60 tattoos of crowns just for people from our small town.”

In the latest development surrounding Andry Hernandez Romero’s case, four House Democrats have demanded a proof of life as they haven’t heard anything about him in over a month, according to The Bulwark.