HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Sergio G.S.: Chef deported after 36 years in U.S., held captive in Mexico

Sergio Garcia Silva, 65, a chef who once catered for President Bush's staff, was deported after 36 years over a 1989 order, then held captive by an extortion group in Mexico.

Jun 1, 2025Waco, TXCountry of origin: Mexico

Sergio G.S.: Chef deported after 36 years in U.S., held captive in Mexico
Photo via Newsweek

Sergio Garcia Silva, a 65-year-old chef who lived in the United States for 36 years, was arrested by ICE at his food truck in Waco, Texas, and deported to Mexico on March 25, 2025. His only immigration infraction was a two-decade-old deportation order for illegal re-entry from 1989 that had never previously been enforced; he had no other criminal record. His restaurant, El Siete Mares, had once catered a breakfast for President George W. Bush's White House press corps. After deportation he was held captive by an extortion group and faced violence in Chiapas, Mexico. He was later apprehended by Border Patrol while attempting to return to the U.S., resulting in a second deportation in June 2025. The ordeal separated him from his four U.S.-born children, though his wife, Sandra, later reunited with him in her hometown of Monterrey.

Timeline

Jun 1, 2025—Apprehended by Border Patrol while attempting to return to the U.S. and deported a second time
Mar 25, 2025—Sergio Garcia Silva arrested by ICE at his food truck in Waco, Texas, and deported to Mexico
Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Tags

Sources

Similar Incidents

Loading…

More incidents in Texas