Kevin Johan Nieto Contreras
Coming to the US
Kevin Johan Nieto, 27, is the son of an opponent of the Venezuelan government from Tachira, a stronghold for opposition. When his father refused to campaign on behalf of the government, he refused due to his principles and awareness of the many abuses committed against members of the opposition. The government began to attack him and sent armed groups to threaten and intimidate him. Due to those attacks, his mental health suffered and it was declared he was incapacitated to work. The government then began to attack his wife. They then began to attack his son, Kevin, threatening to plant drugs on him.
Their second son graduated from college in the US. While attending his son’s graduation, criminal investigators came to his home and arbitrarily took a computer as evidence. His wife decided to come to the US as well on a tourist visa. Both have been in the US since then. In 2019 Kevin, Sr applied for asylum but did not present enough evidence for asylum.
They sent for their son, Kevin, in 2021 and he also entered on a tourist visa. He applied for asylum upon arrival. Kevin worked for DoorDash. In April 2023 a new friend told him someone needed help changing a tire and Kevin accompanied him. When they arrived, individuals forced Kevin into the vehicle and drove him to a remote location. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $2,000. The kidnappers were captured and convicted.
A paralegal told Kevin that he did not need to apply for Temporary Protected Status since he was on a tourist visa. This left Kevin unprotected.
In November 2023, Kevin was arrested at a nightclub in Colorado where a small amount of prohibited substance was found. His attorney advised him to plead guilty to avoid a lengthy trial and that the minor offense would not affect his asylum claim.
Detainment and Disappearance to CECOT
In October 2024, immigration arrested Kevin at his home. When he told the judge that he had applied for asylum and was not in the country illegally, the judge explained he would refer him to an immigration judge but he remained in detention.
In the system, he disappeared from the Aurora Detention records, where he was listed as released. Two days later he showed up in a Texas detention center. He told his girlfriend he was being deported to Venezuela. He was never heard from again. He was in the list of men disappeared to CECOT.
Kevin is one of 10 clients being defended by RFK Human Rights. In April attorneys traveled to El Salvador to advocate for their release.
https://rfkhumanrights.org/our-impact/justice/international-justice/rfk-human-rights-el-salvador-delegation-to-investigate-trumps-unlawful-deportations/
