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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

3 clusters · 12 sources · 31 days · First seen about 1 month ago · Last updated 3 days ago

Categories: POLITICS

ICE detention of Venezuelan asylum seekers in US

Entities: Wilmer Solano · Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) · Jorge Luis Vilchez Lopez · Miami Beach, Florida, USA · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Overview

In late June 2026 a Venezuelan staffer working for a New York City council was released from ICE custody and granted asylum after a period of detention.

A month later ICE conducted separate operations that detained two additional Venezuelan nationals—a journalist, Wilmer Solano, in Miami Beach, and restaurateur Jorge Luis Vilchez López in New Mexico. Both had entered the United States legally, held valid work permits or visas, and had applied for political asylum without any criminal records.

On 28 July 2026 ICE arrested Wilmer Solano, a Venezuelan journalist residing in the United States since 2015, at Miami Beach’s Haulover Beach area while he was working. Solano, who holds a pending asylum application, a Florida driver’s license and a work permit, was detained without a stated reason and has no criminal record in either country. His wife launched a GoFundMe petition describing the arrest as occurring without a judicial order or charges. The incident was highlighted by the Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad and noted alongside recent ICE detentions of other journalists.

The cases illustrate the continued enforcement actions by ICE against Venezuelan individuals seeking protection, spanning different professions and locations across the United States.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] ICE detained Wilmer Solano at Haulover Beach in Miami Beach on Sunday, July 26 2024. (detention)
[● 4 SOURCES] Wilmer Solano has a pending asylum application in the United States. (asylum status)
[● 4 SOURCES] Solano holds a valid Florida driver’s license and work permit and has no criminal record in the United States or Venezuela. (legal status)
[● 4 SOURCES] The Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad (Apevex) said ICE has not explained the reason for the detention. (agency statement)
[● 4 SOURCES] Solano worked for Globovisión from 2002 to 2008 and owned the news agency Zorro Comunicaciones. (career background)
[● 4 SOURCES] In August 2011 Solano was assaulted by municipal officials in Tinaquillo, Venezuela while covering opposition campaigns. (previous assault)
[● 4 SOURCES] Solano’s wife María Moreno started a GoFundMe petition saying the detention occurred without a judicial order or criminal charges. (family statement)
[● 4 SOURCES] ICE has previously detained other journalists, including Colombian reporter Estefany Rodríguez and Salvadoran Mario Guevara. (historical precedent)
[● 2 SOURCES] ICE detained journalist Wilmer Solano on July 26, 2024 at Haulover Beach in Miami Beach.
[● 2 SOURCES] Wilmer Solano is a Venezuelan journalist with over twenty years of experience, formerly employed by Globovisión and founder of Zorro Comunicaciones.
[● 2 SOURCES] Solano entered the United States legally in 2015, holds a valid work permit and Florida driver’s licence, and has no criminal record in either Venezuela or the United States.
[○ 1 SOURCE] ICE detained restaurateur Jorge Luis Vilchez Lopez on July 16, 2024 and is holding him at the Otero County Detention Center in New Mexico.

Timeline

3 days ago

[POLITICS] 10 sources
ICE detains Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Solano in Miami Beach despite pending asylum
ICE detained Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Solano at Miami’s Haulover Beach despite his pending asylum, work permit and clean record, prompting his family to allege an unlawful arrest.
5 days ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
ICE detains Venezuelan journalist and restaurateur in US
ICE detained Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Solano in Miami Beach on July 26 and restaurateur Jorge Vilchez in New Mexico on July 16; both are asylum seekers with legal status and no criminal records.
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Venezuelan NYC Council Staffer Freed After ICE Detention, Asylum Granted
Venezuelan NYC Council data analyst Rafael Rubio Bohorquez was freed after five months in ICE detention, granted asylum, but faces a DHS appeal seeking his removal.

Sources

caraotadigital.net · diario.mx · eldiario.com · fultonsports.com · healthinsight.co.nz · lanacionweb.com · lapatilla.com · latimes.com · monitoreamos.com · tn23.tv · xeu.com.mx · xeu.mx

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history