Hold Trump Accountable for Releasing a Triple Murderer
The Issue
On Friday morning, the U.S. government welcomed home 10 Americans and legal residents previously imprisoned in Venezuela. It was meant to be a diplomatic victory. But among those pictured smiling with a U.S. flag was Dahud Hanid Ortiz — a man convicted of brutally murdering three people in Spain and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
According to official Venezuelan court records and Spanish prosecutors, Ortiz traveled to Madrid in 2016 intending to kill a man involved with his wife. When he didn’t find him, he murdered three innocent people instead — two women and one man — using a large knife and an iron bar. Then he set the scene on fire and fled Europe.
Spanish authorities tried to extradite him for years. When Venezuela refused to hand over one of its own nationals, they put him on trial there instead. He was convicted. He was sentenced. Families grieved, believing justice had finally been served.
Then, without public explanation, the Trump administration included Ortiz in a high-profile prisoner swap. Now he's back in the United States — and no one will confirm if he’s in custody or free.
Meanwhile, hundreds of non-violent immigrants are serving years in U.S. detention centers simply for crossing the border — some separated from their families, some denied due process. These were the people who could have been prioritized in any humanitarian exchange. Instead, a confessed killer was flown home with full honors.
The families of the victims were never warned. One survivor says he now lives in fear. The public has no answers. The U.S. government has no excuse.
We demand immediate transparency: What is Dahud Hanid Ortiz’s legal status on U.S. soil? Why was he included in the deal? And what is being done to ensure he serves the sentence imposed for his crimes?
America cannot be a sanctuary for violent criminals. The rule of law cannot be negotiated away in secret deals. Victims deserve justice, and the public deserves the truth.
Sign now to demand accountability from the State Department and the Trump administration. Don’t let this betrayal go unanswered.
[Photo Credit: New York Times]
160
The Issue
On Friday morning, the U.S. government welcomed home 10 Americans and legal residents previously imprisoned in Venezuela. It was meant to be a diplomatic victory. But among those pictured smiling with a U.S. flag was Dahud Hanid Ortiz — a man convicted of brutally murdering three people in Spain and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
According to official Venezuelan court records and Spanish prosecutors, Ortiz traveled to Madrid in 2016 intending to kill a man involved with his wife. When he didn’t find him, he murdered three innocent people instead — two women and one man — using a large knife and an iron bar. Then he set the scene on fire and fled Europe.
Spanish authorities tried to extradite him for years. When Venezuela refused to hand over one of its own nationals, they put him on trial there instead. He was convicted. He was sentenced. Families grieved, believing justice had finally been served.
Then, without public explanation, the Trump administration included Ortiz in a high-profile prisoner swap. Now he's back in the United States — and no one will confirm if he’s in custody or free.
Meanwhile, hundreds of non-violent immigrants are serving years in U.S. detention centers simply for crossing the border — some separated from their families, some denied due process. These were the people who could have been prioritized in any humanitarian exchange. Instead, a confessed killer was flown home with full honors.
The families of the victims were never warned. One survivor says he now lives in fear. The public has no answers. The U.S. government has no excuse.
We demand immediate transparency: What is Dahud Hanid Ortiz’s legal status on U.S. soil? Why was he included in the deal? And what is being done to ensure he serves the sentence imposed for his crimes?
America cannot be a sanctuary for violent criminals. The rule of law cannot be negotiated away in secret deals. Victims deserve justice, and the public deserves the truth.
Sign now to demand accountability from the State Department and the Trump administration. Don’t let this betrayal go unanswered.
[Photo Credit: New York Times]
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on July 25, 2025