In April, 32-year-old Venezuelan make-up artist Andry Hernandez Romero was sent from the United States to El Salvador's supermax Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

While advocates for Romero are drawing attention to his case, a recent ruling appears to have permanently banished him. 

Immigration judge dismisses Hernandez's asylum claim

According to NBC News, an immigration judge in San Diego moved on Tuesday to dismiss the asylum claim that Romero made after entering the United States under former President Joe Biden.

Hernandez, who has no criminal record, claimed that he had been persecuted in Venezuela for his sexual orientation as well as his opposition to the country's authoritarian government.

NBC News noted that a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson alleged that Hernandez's "own social media indicates he is a member of Tren de Aragua."

Tren de Aragua is a notorious Venezuelan gang which President Donald Trump designated as a foreign terrorist organization via a proclamation issued on March 15.

Family members disputes meaning of crown tattoos

However, NBC News reported that it had undertaken a thorough examination of Hernandez's social media history and could find no references to gang affiliation.

Authorities have also pointed to the presence of two crowns which are tattooed on Hernandez's wrists, asserting that they are evidence of gang membership.

Yet members of Hernandez's family contend that he got the crowns in honor of Three Kings Day, a Christian holiday which is celebrated in Venezuela and many other Spanish-speaking countries.

Andry Hernandez Romero was deported to El Salvador based on the government's contention that his tattoos linked him to a Venezuelan gang. Friends and family say the tattoos are merely a symbol of his love for his hometown's Three Kings Day festival. https://t.co/vzSf5MoUC2

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 8, 2025

What's more they supplied NBC News with photographs which showed Hernandez participating in a Three Kings Day celebration.

Gang expert says Tren de Aragua does not use distinctive tattoos

Venezuelan investigative journalist Ronna Rísquez wrote a book on Tren de Aragua, and she told NBC News that the gang does not use distinctive tattoos.

"It’s not like the Central American maras or the Latin Kings, where in some cases you need to have a certain tattoo in order to belong to the gang," Rísquez said.

"You can have a tattoo and not belong to the gang, or you could not have any tattoos and belong to the gang," she went on to explain.