Juba (BN24) – South Sudan said Saturday it has repatriated to Mexico a man who was mistakenly deported from the United States in July, ending weeks of detention in the East African nation.
The man, identified as Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez, had been among eight deportees held in government custody in Juba since their expulsion from the U.S. Another detainee, a South Sudanese national, was released earlier, while six others remain behind bars.
According to South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry, the repatriation of Munoz-Gutierrez was conducted in coordination with the Mexican Embassy in Ethiopia and carried out “in full accordance with relevant international law, bilateral agreements, and established diplomatic protocols.”
Munoz-Gutierrez told reporters in Juba that he was stunned by the U.S. government’s decision to send him to South Sudan, a country with which he has no ties.
“I felt kidnapped when the U.S. sent me here,” he said. “I was not planning to come to South Sudan, but while I was here they treated me well. I finished my time in the United States, and they were supposed to return me to Mexico. Instead, they wrongfully sent me to South Sudan.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said Munoz-Gutierrez was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison before his deportation.
South Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Apuk Ayuel Mayen said the government is engaging with other countries to arrange the return of the six remaining deportees. It remains unclear whether those detainees have access to legal representation.
Rights groups condemn U.S. deportation policy
Human rights organizations have sharply criticized the Trump administration’s policy of sending migrants to third countries, arguing it violates international law and the fundamental rights of migrants.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June allowed the government to resume the fast-track deportations, even when migrants are sent to countries where they have no nationality, family, or legal ties. The policy has been controversial and challenged in lower courts.
Other African countries have also received deportees from the United States in recent months. In July, Eswatini admitted five deported men with criminal records, while Rwanda confirmed in mid-August that it had accepted a group of seven deportees. Uganda has also taken in migrants under the program.
Munoz-Gutierrez’s return to Mexico highlights both the diplomatic complexities and the human consequences of the U.S. policy, which critics say displaces migrants into unfamiliar and unstable environments without proper safeguards.
