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Mom’s Desperate Search for Deported Son After Venezuela Quakes
A Mother’s Desperate Search: A Migrant Vanishes After Being Deported to Venezuela on the Day of Devastating Earthquakes
What Happened?
Imagine this: You finally get a phone call from your son after a long time apart. He tells you he’s coming home. But just minutes later, the ground starts shaking violently — not once, but twice. And then… silence. Your son disappears, and no one can tell you where he is.
This is exactly what happened to Oswadeliz Núñez Ramírez, a mother from Venezuela who has been desperately searching for her 28-year-old son, Daniel Alejandro Núñez Ramírez, for days.
The Story in Simple Terms
Daniel’s Journey Back to Venezuela
- Daniel had been living in Jacksonville, Florida, in the United States.
- On June 24, he was among 146 migrants (120 men, 19 women, 5 boys, and 2 girls) who were deported from the U.S. and put on a flight back to Venezuela.
- The flight was operated by ICE Air (the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s airline) and chartered by a company called Global X.
- The plane departed from Phoenix, Arizona, made stops in El Paso, Texas, and Miami, and then landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near Caracas, at 12:30 p.m.
- The Venezuelan government runs a program called "Vuelta a la Patria" (which means "Return to the Homeland") that brings deported Venezuelans back. They announced the group’s arrival on Instagram, saying everyone was welcomed with "dignity."
The Last Phone Call
- Oswadeliz learned her son had arrived at 5:25 p.m. that day. An official had given Daniel a phone so he could call his mother.
- The call lasted only about 50 minutes before the first earthquake hit.
- Daniel didn’t have time to tell his mother exactly where he was staying.
- Then the earthquakes struck — two powerful tremors that caused widespread destruction.
Important Point: According to Jorge Rodríguez, the President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, the earthquakes killed at least 1,719 people, injured 5,034, and left 15,866 displaced from their homes.
The Hotel That Collapsed
Hotel Santuario La Llanada
- After landing, several of the deported migrants — possibly including Daniel — were transferred to a building called the Hotel Santuario La Llanada, located in La Guaira state.
- When the earthquakes hit, the hotel almost completely collapsed.
- Oswadeliz says only about a dozen people survived, and they managed to crawl out of the rubble on their own.
- The area around the hotel is now under guard by the Venezuelan intelligence service, which means families like Oswadeliz are not allowed to enter or search the site themselves.
A Mother’s Frantic Search
Five Days of Looking — With No Answers
Oswadeliz has spent the last five days doing everything she can to find her son:
- She drove eight hours from El Tigre, in Anzoátegui state (northeastern Venezuela), to reach La Guaira.
- She visited every hospital in La Guaira and Caracas.
- She went to the morgue in Caracas — one of many stops in her search.
- She went to the collapsed hotel site, but was blocked by intelligence officers.
"He’s nowhere to be found," Oswadeliz said, weeping. "I am here trying to see if my son is here, because I don’t know where he is."
Conflicting Information and Frustration
What the Government Said vs. What Actually Happened
- A member of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Venezuela’s intelligence agency), who only gave his first name as "Jonathan," told Oswadeliz that he had personally pulled her son from the rubble of the collapsed hotel.
- But here’s the problem: five days later, no one can confirm where Daniel actually is.
- The family says the government told them Daniel had been rescued and was in a hospital — but when they checked every single hospital and morgue in Caracas and La Guñez, he was nowhere to be found.
Important Point: Daniel’s cousin, Fátima Gabriela Núñez, accused the Venezuelan government of "mocking the public" and giving families false information that only made their pain worse. She called the treatment of the families "inhumane."
What Happens Next?
A Plan to Fight Back
- Oswadeliz is a lawyer by profession, and she is not giving up.
- She plans to sue both the United States and Venezuelan governments.
- Her argument: her son and the other migrants were "treated like dogs" in both countries.
- She says that once she finds out what happened to Daniel, she will gather the families of the other migrants from the same flight and file a class-action lawsuit (that means a big lawsuit where a group of people sue together).
The U.S. Government’s Response
- A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told the Miami Herald: the flight safely reached Venezuela, and all passengers were returned home.
- They added that once someone is no longer in ICE custody (meaning they’ve been handed over), ICE is no longer responsible for them.
Summary
| Key Detail | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Who | Daniel Alejandro Núñez Ramírez, 28, deported from the U.S. to Venezuela |
| When | June 24 — the same day two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela |
| Where | Hotel Santuario La Llanada in La Guaira state, which collapsed during the quakes |
| The Problem | Daniel has been missing for five days. Officials claim he was rescued from rubble, but his family cannot find him anywhere — not in any hospital, morgue, or shelter. |
| The Bigger Issue | Families say the Venezuelan government gave them false information and blocked them from searching the collapsed site. The area is under military guard. |
| What’s Next | Daniel’s mother, a lawyer, plans to sue both the U.S. and Venezuelan governments and organize other families from the flight to join a class-action lawsuit. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How many people were on the deportation flight with Daniel?
There were 146 migrants on the flight — 120 men, 19 women, 5 boys, and 2 girls. The flight was operated by ICE Air and chartered by Global X, departing from Phoenix, Arizona, with stops in El Paso and Miami.
2. Why can’t the family search the collapsed hotel site?
The area around the Hotel Santuario La Llanada is currently under guard by Venezuela’s intelligence service, which is preventing families from entering to search for their loved ones or get information.
3. What did the U.S. government say about the situation?
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the flight landed safely in Venezuela and all passengers were returned. They said that once individuals are no longer in ICE custody, ICE is no longer responsible for what happens to them.
4. What is the "Vuelta a la Patria" program?
It is a Venezuelan government program that arranges flights to bring Venezuelan migrants who were deported (or want to return) from other countries — mainly the United States — back to Venezuela. The government describes it as a "return to the homeland" initiative.
5. What does Daniel’s mother plan to do next?
Oswadeliz, who is a lawyer, plans to file lawsuits against both the U.S. and Venezuelan governments. She also intends to organize the other families from the same deportation flight to join together in a class-action lawsuit, arguing that the migrants were mistreated in both countries.
This article is based on reporting by Syra Ortiz Blanes for the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.
