ICE removes Venezuelan colonel and human rights violator

MIAMI - On Aug. 18, ICE removed Rafael José Quero Silva, a known human rights violator who participated in the detention and torture of political dissidents during the Maduro regime, to Venezuela following a Department of Justice immigration judge's order of removal.

ICE arrested Quero Silva, an illegal alien from Venezuela, Feb. 27, 2025, in Miramar. He entered the United States June 20, 2016, at Miami International Airport but failed to depart in accordance with the terms of his admission.

"ICE officers continue to remove human rights violators to their home countries," said ERO Miami Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. "This removal reflects the outstanding work of ICE Miami, HSI Miami, FBI Miami and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. We are committed to public safety and national security, and to ensuring the United States does not become a safe haven for individuals who participated in persecution, torture or other serious human rights abuses."

"HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable human rights violators who seek refuge in the United States," said HSI Miami Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa. "This case reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our immigration system and ensuring that individuals who participated in persecution or torture cannot evade justice."

Prior to entering the United States, Quero Silva served as a colonel in the Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela, known as the GNB, commanding the 47th Detachment in the city of Barquisimeto. He was involved in, and had knowledge of, the excessive use of force, detention and torture of anti-Maduro protesters by GNB members under his command. Reports indicate that in 2013, Quero Silva directly oversaw the torture of at least 74 peaceful demonstrators. While in the custody of Quero Silva's 47th Detachment, these political protesters were subjected to electric shocks, severe beatings with nightsticks and frozen water bottles, threats of rape, and other physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

The case was supported by ICE Miami, HSI Miami, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. The HSI-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center furthers the government's efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, or the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

Since 2003, ICE has arrested more than 520 people for human rights-related violations of law under various criminal and immigration statutes. During the same period, ICE has obtained deportation orders against, and physically removed from the United States, 1,178 known or suspected human rights violators and facilitated the departures of an additional 208. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center has issued more than 80,000 lookouts for potential perpetrators of human rights abuses and has stopped more than 415 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the United States.

If you have information about potential former human rights violators in the United States, contact U.S. law enforcement through the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or by filling out the online tip form. You can also email [email protected].