The family of a South Florida landscaper says they have not heard from him in days after he was detained during a traffic stop involving Florida Highway Patrol troopers and federal immigration agents earlier this week.
NBC6 has been following a series of similar incidents in which federal immigration officers have been seen working alongside FHP during roadside stops, many involving work trucks headed to job sites.
On Tuesday morning in Davie, several landscaping workers were pulled over as they headed to their jobs. Among them was 51-year-old José Cuellar, originally from El Salvador, who was taken into custody by federal immigration agents after troopers initiated the traffic stop.
Cellphone video shared on social media — and later reviewed by NBC6 — shows Cuellar wearing a green shirt as multiple workers were detained and escorted away by federal agents. Cuellar’s children recognized him in the footage and reached out to NBC6, desperate for information about where he is now.
His daughter Jimena Cuellar described him as someone who “liked his work,” “loved what he did,” and “never complained about it.”
The family says they have had no contact with him since Tuesday, and they’ve been unable to learn where he was taken or how he’s doing.
“We haven’t heard about him for three days. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he’s OK. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jennifer Cuellar said.
Cuellar’s son Justin was in the truck with him during the stop and shared dashcam and cellphone video with NBC6. Troopers are heard telling the driver they pulled the truck over because part of the license plate was obscured. The family shared a photo of the license plate, which they say was clearly visible.
“We had talked about this happening, scared of it. I thought, ‘Is this really happening?’” Justin Cuellar said.
He said officers yelled at his father to get out of the vehicle before placing him in zip-tie handcuffs and taking him to a car.
“They just started yelling at him to get out of the car,” he said. “They just put him in zip tie handcuffs and took him to the car.”
According to his children, Cuellar came to the U.S. from El Salvador more than 30 years ago. They said he has a pending family-based immigration petition and is appealing a previous removal order tied to an asylum claim. They said he also has no criminal history. An NBC6 statewide records search found no arrests under his name.
The family said they are now without their main provider and are struggling emotionally as they wait for answers.
“It’s hard to know that your government doesn’t want you, you know? And that was the hardest part for me because my dad is like my life,” Jimena Cuellar said.
Cuellar also has an 11-year-old daughter at home.
To help cover legal fees and support their father while he remains detained, the family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with legal fees and other expenses while their father is detained.
NBC6 has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ask where Cuellar was taken and what his current status is. The station is awaiting a response. Florida Highway Patrol said Thursday the stops are part of “routine traffic enforcement” and outlined several ways the agency partners with federal immigration authorities.
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