Little Village Man Deported Under Gang Label Rebuilds Life in Mexico After 33 Years

Francisco Gonzalez-Jasso stood on a street in Torreón, Mexico, calling out his brother’s name after 33 years of separation. The 55-year-old Little Village resident had been deported from Chicago in October, labeled by federal authorities as a Latin Kings gang member despite having no criminal record.

“I started yelling out my brother’s name: Cesar, Cesar,” Gonzalez-Jasso said in Spanish, according to reporting by WBEZ. “Once I saw his face, I told the taxi driver to leave. Then, I embraced my brother. I was broken.”

Gonzalez-Jasso was arrested by Border Patrol agents last October during Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s deportation campaign targeting what officials called “violent criminals” in the Chicago area. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security branded him a member of the Latin Kings gang, though state and city records show no gang ties or criminal history for Gonzalez-Jasso.

The arrest happened outside Jacaranda, a bar on 26th Street, where Gonzalez-Jasso had been attending a birthday party with friends. He stepped outside to buy cigarettes when agents arrested him, according to his account.

“The saddest thing, and it hurts, is that they grabbed me, they forced me down, pointed a gun at me, in front of people, children,” Gonzalez-Jasso said. “Your world collapses. Your life is over.”

He said Border Patrol agents punched him several times while dragging him to a van. The agents didn’t know his name, didn’t show him a warrant and had no reason to stop him, according to Gonzalez-Jasso. Video of his arrest circulated on social media.

DHS released a statement that afternoon saying, “U.S. Border Patrol conducted targeted enforcement resulting in the arrest of Francisco Gonzalez-Jasso, a criminal alien from Mexico and member of the Latin Kings criminal organization.” The agency hasn’t responded to questions about evidence supporting that claim, according to WBEZ reporting.

Known as “Panchito” in Little Village, Gonzalez-Jasso had been a fixture in the neighborhood for more than three decades. His deportation devastated friends and neighbors who knew him as a helpful, friendly presence.

“I cried, honestly, I cried when I learned that Panchito was arrested,” said Carlos Macías, owner of Carniceria y Taqueria Aguas Calientes on 26th Street, who had been friends with Gonzalez-Jasso for more than 20 years.

Ana Guerrero, a waitress at the taqueria who often served Gonzalez-Jasso, described him as a daily regular. “He was like your daily coffee, always here in the mornings before heading to work. He was always very respectful. This was his home,” she said.

Gonzalez-Jasso’s name doesn’t appear in state or city records as having gang ties, nor was he included in the 2018 Chicago Crime Commission “Gang Book,” the most recent edition published. He worked in construction for years, including at places requiring background checks.

He had lived in Chicago without legal immigration status and was previously deported in the 1980s. But he maintains the government’s gang allegations are false.

“It’s humiliating for me,” Gonzalez-Jasso said. “I’m not a criminal. I never harmed anyone.”

Now in Torreón, a city in Mexico’s northern state of Coahuila, Gonzalez-Jasso is attempting to rebuild his life. When he arrived at his childhood home, he barely recognized it after more than three decades away. The house looked smaller than he remembered, and he had to check addresses on every door before finding the right one.

His brother Cesar, now 50, was just 17 when they last saw each other. Gonzalez-Jasso joins hundreds of people swept up in Operation Midway Blitz, with some immigrants saying they were wrongly accused of criminal activity or gang ties.