A Venezuelan makeup artist who was deported from the United States to El Salvador's high-security Cecot prison has traveled to Spain to seek asylum, according to his first public interview since the deportation.

Andry José Hernández Romero arrived in Spain in early February and is scheduled for his first asylum hearing in the coming days. He told media outlets that he does not feel safe returning to Venezuela and lacks trust in U.S. authorities to return and contest his legal case.

Hernández was among Venezuelan nationals sent from the U.S. to El Salvador's Cecot prison under policies implemented during the Trump administration. The facility is known as one of the country's most restrictive detention centers.

After his time at Cecot, Hernández was allowed to return to Venezuela before making the decision to leave for Europe. He cited Spain's more liberal immigration policies as a factor in his decision to seek asylum there rather than attempt to return to the United States.

The case highlights ongoing challenges faced by Venezuelan migrants navigating immigration systems across multiple countries amid the continuing political and economic crisis in their homeland. Spain has generally maintained more accommodating policies toward asylum seekers compared to other destinations.