A tattoo owned by an individual who identifies as "an average middle-aged man" from Britain was featured in a U.S. governmental handbook aimed at recognizing members of a dangerous Venezuelan gang.
Pete Belton, aged 44, hailing from Derbyshire, England, shared his story with the BBC He isn't connected to Tren de Aragua (TDA)—whose members are presently being pursued and expelled El Salvador by the Trump administration.
Belton expressed surprise upon discovering that an image of his tattoo—a clock showing the exact time and date of his daughter’s birth—appeared in a Department of Homeland Security document aimed at "detecting and identifying" TdA members, which came to light. court filings .
“It felt somewhat odd but also amusing initially,” Belton said to the BBC, adding that he is now concerned his family holiday in August might turn into “a half-year-long stay at an all-inclusive resort in Guantanamo.”
A reverse image search of the tattoo used in the DHS document traced it back to a 2016 Instagram post by a tattoo artist in the U.K., according to the British broadcaster. The image also featured in a 2024 report From the Texas Department of Public Safety in a report about TdA activities within the United States.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas DPS) has clarified how the image appeared in their records. However, in a concise statement, the DHS informed the BBC that they stand behind their intelligence reports and assert that their evaluations "extend far beyond mere gang-related tattoos and social media activity."
Immigration officers have received a point-based evaluation tool called the "Alien Enemy Validation Guide" to identify potential gang members. This guide indicates that tattoos may contribute up to four out of the eight points needed to warrant an individual’s detention or removal from the country.
Belton maintains that he has absolutely no connection with the Venezuelan gang and stated that he might cancel his forthcoming trip to the U.S., based on how this situation unfolds.
He told the BBC: “Hopefully, now they’d realize I’m not a Venezuelan gangster, but I’ve seen crazier things happen in the news recently, so we’re just going to wait and see.”
The Trump administration has expelled almost 300 Men were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador after they were accused of being part of gangs such as Tren de Aragua.
Included among those deported was a father from Maryland whom the administration acknowledged had been expelled from the U.S. because of “ an administrative error ." Others were accused of sporting TdA tattoos, including a man who claims an soccer team tattoo was incorrectly identified as having gang affiliations, and a makeup artist whose tattoos read "mom" and "dad" were apparently cited as evidence Of his claimed association with TDA.
Find out more on The Daily Beast.
