British Man's Tattoo Mistakenly Linked to Venezuelan Gang in U.S. Security Document

Pete Belton's commemorative clock tattoo was erroneously included in a Department of Homeland Security guide identifying alleged gang members, raising concerns about profiling practices.

Pete Belton, a Derbyshire resident, discovered his clock tattoo, honoring his daughter's birth, was featured in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security document as a gang identifier.
The DHS document aims to help officers identify members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang but included common tattoo designs, sparking criticism over potential misidentifications.
Belton expressed concerns about being flagged during international travel, highlighting the personal impact of such profiling errors.
Donald Trump has accused the Tren de Aragua gang of drug trafficking and orchestrating illegal migration, intensifying political scrutiny on U.S. border security measures.
Hundreds of alleged gang members have been detained in El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, where harsh conditions have drawn both praise for law enforcement efforts and criticism from human rights organizations.