With a Single Image, U.S. Deportation Narrative Is Challenged

Source: New York Times

Mr. Hanid Ortiz arrived at the lawyer’s office in search of a man he thought was having an affair with his wife, the Spanish authorities say. But he killed the wrong man, beating him to death along with a woman who was also in the office. He fatally stabbed another woman there.

The image of a convicted killer on a plane en route from Venezuela, surrounded by cheerful people waving American flags, is at best problematic for the White House.

“That runs counter to Trump’s message that he’s trying to purge this country of immigrants who are violent criminals,” said Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a professor at the Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies.

The State Department did not respond to questions about why the administration had decided to include Mr. Hanid Ortiz in the prisoner swap. It also did not say what happened to him after he arrived in the United States. But on Thursday, two people with knowledge of the case said Mr. Hanid Ortiz was now a free man.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/americas/us-venezuela-prisoner-swap-murderer-photo.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.IuvZ.qI8sjQPwjtRD&smid=url-share