What began as a story of work, stability, and the legal immigration process ended in a tragedy marked by deportation, an earthquake, and the death of a father.

A family living in Nashville, Tennessee, was recently deported from the United States to Venezuela, where hours later a strong earthquake caused the collapse of the hotel where they were staying, leaving the death of the husband, Richard Pereira, and a devastating situation for his wife, Johana Pineda, and their seven-year-old son.

The family had resided in the United States since 2022 under a humanitarian permit. Both adults worked for Amazon and their son attended school and sports activities during the summer.

From working life in the US to immigration detention

According to Pineda's testimony, the family complied with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) controls, including periodic filings and the use of electronic monitoring.

However, in one of those reviews, they were informed that they had to choose between remaining detained or leaving the country voluntarily. The family opted for voluntary departure, according to their story, to avoid being imprisoned.

Pineda assures that initially they were told that they had to leave the country before August 15, but days later they were notified that the departure would be immediate.

They were later transferred to Texas, where they remained in custody until their deportation.

The return to Venezuela and the collapse of the hotel

Upon arriving in Venezuela, the deportees were placed in a hotel near La Guaira, along with more than a hundred people repatriated from the United States.

Hours later, a large earthquake shook the country's coastal region, causing the building to collapse.

"I grabbed my son to protect him. I covered him with my body," Pineda said in an interview with ABC News in Spanish.

The woman claimed that, in the middle of the rubble, she managed to find an opening through which her son could get out, while she remained trapped.

The minor was rescued alive, but later died from his injuries, while his father lost his life in the hospital after the collapse.

More than 2,500 dead in Venezuela due to earthquakes

Venezuelan authorities reported that recent earthquakes have left more than 2,500 dead and around 50,000 people missing, according to data from the International Rescue Committee.

The hotel where the deportees were located was part of the infrastructure used to house citizens returned from the United States.

Complaints about the immigration process

The family maintains that their case reflects failures in the immigration system and in the treatment of people under humanitarian processes.

“We always try to do things right,” declared Pineda, who assures that the family had no criminal record or violations in the United States.

He also questioned the decision of the immigration authorities: "They don't care if you have a life or a family. They only care about deporting you."

For its part, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the June 24 flight arrived in Venezuela without incident and that, once out of ICE custody, responsibility falls to local authorities.

A story marked by loss

Pineda buried her husband a few days after the disaster. The woman, who had known Pereira since she was a teenager, now faces life with her surviving son amid grief and uncertainty.

“I lost my husband and my best friend,” she said. “My son lost his father.”

The tragedy has reopened the debate about deportation processes in the United States and the conditions in which migrants returned to their countries of origin are received.