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toggle caption Tamir Kalifa/for NPR

CEDAR PARK, Texas — For the last few weeks, Juan Terán had been filled with sadness.

His son, 18-year-old Carlos Daniel Terán from Venezuela, had been in immigration detention centers in Texas after being arrested on Jan. 26, and accused by the U.S. government of being part of Tren de Aragua , a Venezuelan gang recently designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization.

NPR, which first reported about Carlos' arrest last month , could not find any criminal records for him in Texas, or anywhere else across the U.S.

On March 15, Juan Terán last spoke to his son. It was via text message.

"Bendición papá, we are being taken out," the son wrote. "With God's help, we are leaving today."

Juan replied, "God bless you, son."

Since then, Juan Terán has not heard from Carlos.

On Wednesday, Juan Terán received a photo that he believes confirms what he had feared — his son was one of the 261 immigrants sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, despite a federal judge ordering the flights carrying the men to turn around .

Carlos Daniel's case is caught up in a broader brewing battle between