Mother seeks answers as son detained in El Salvador's CECOT for alleged involvement in Venezuelan TdA gang

HOUSTON - A Venezuelan mother is seeking answers after her son was detained in El Salvador, accused of being a member of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. She insists he is innocent and has provided evidence to support her claim.

Entered the country legally through CBP One App

What we know:

Maria Quevedo and her son, Eddie Hurtado Quevedo, are from Venezuela and moved to Peru before deciding to migrate to the United States. Mother and son waited in Mexico to get their appointments confirmed through the CBP One App and present themselves at the San Ysidro port of entry in August 2024.

Quevedo was admitted into the United States, but her son Eddie was detained.

Quevedo has not spoken to her son since he was detained in San Diego seven months ago. 

Alleged members of Tren de Aragua detained in El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center

She was shocked to see him in a video posted on X, showing alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua arriving at El Salvador's maximum-security prison, El CECOT.

Mother in disbelief

What they're saying:

Maria Quevedo, Eddie's mother, expressed her disbelief: "That was a huge blow to me because I didn’t expect that. If my son had committed a crime or had a violent criminal record, then, okay, I’d accept his fate, but that’s not the case."

Maria and Eddie entered the United States legally through the CBP One app in August 2024, presenting themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California. While Maria was granted access, Eddie was detained.

"I thought he would be released quickly because he has no issues, no problems, he hasn’t been convicted of anything, he has not committed a crime," Maria said.

Since August 13, when Eddie informed Maria he was being moved to a detention center in Laredo, she has had no contact with him. He later called to say he was being transferred from Laredo to Miami. Months have passed with no sign of Eddie, and neither Maria nor the attorney hired to help him could reach him. A family member recognized Eddie in the video posted by Bukele, later confirmed by CBS News through an internal document listing alleged gang members.

Maria Quevedo insists her son has no criminal record in Venezuela and is not a member of Tren de Aragua. "I took him out of Venezuela when he was 17. He was with me in Peru for approximately five years until we decided to leave for the United States."

Peruvian records show Eddie has no criminal history. However, during an immigration court date, Maria learned that the U.S. had evidence against Eddie, alleging he was a member of Tren de Aragua. Maria says her son has 19 tattoos, none associated with the gang. She has reached out to both U.S. and El Salvadoran officials but has received no response.

"To this day, I have not received anything, not even a call, they have not written to me, they have not told me anything about his situation," Maria said.

Evidence against Eddie

What we don't know:

FOX 26 reached out to CBP in San Diego and Homeland Security regarding Eddie's alleged involvement in Tren de Aragua but did not receive a response.