The detention of Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Roberto Solano Dávila by U.S. immigration authorities has sparked a wave of solidarity across the Venezuelan press community, with colleagues launching a fundraising campaign to help cover his legal defense as his asylum case moves through immigration court.
Solano, a 59-year-old former Globovisión journalist who has lived legally in the United States since 2015 while seeking asylum, was detained Sunday afternoon by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents during a traffic stop near Haulover Beach in Miami Beach, according to relatives, fellow journalists and multiple Venezuelan news outlets.
According to friends and family, Solano was working as a rideshare driver when agents stopped his vehicle around 4:40 p.m. He reportedly notified his wife by text message that CBP officers had pulled him over before communication ceased. Family members say they are unaware of any traffic violation or criminal allegation that would have justified the stop and maintain that he presented valid identification and employment authorization.
Former Chacao Mayor Ramón Muchacho, who previously worked with Solano in Venezuela, told Spanish-language media that the journalist was first taken to CBP's facility in Dania Beach before being transferred to the Krome Processing Center in Miami-Dade County. Solano has been scheduled to appear before an immigration judge on Aug. 26.
The case has reverberated throughout the Venezuelan exile community, particularly among journalists who fled political persecution and continue to await decisions on their asylum applications in the United States.
In recent days, fellow reporters, media organizations and supporters have circulated appeals on social media seeking donations to finance Solano's legal representation, arguing that the case has become emblematic of growing anxiety among asylum seekers facing increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement. Several Venezuelan journalists have urged colleagues and members of the diaspora to contribute to his defense while calling for due process in immigration proceedings.
Unamos fuerzas por el periodista venezolano Wilmer Solano. Su familia está reuniendo fondos para contratar a un abogado de inmigración. Cualquier donativo, sin importar el monto, cuenta muchísimo.https://t.co/D1YOflQb22
— Sergio Novelli (@SergioNovelliE) July 29, 2026
The arrest also comes amid broader concerns over press freedom affecting Venezuelan journalists both inside and outside their home country.
The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) has repeatedly warned that journalists continue to face legal risks, harassment and restrictions. Earlier this month, the organization launched a separate fundraising campaign to assist journalists affected by the devastating June earthquakes in Venezuela, including reporters who lost homes, equipment and family members while continuing to cover the disaster. The union also reported that at least 12 media workers died during the catastrophe.
Solano has more than two decades of journalism experience. During his career in Venezuela, he worked at Globovisión between 2002 and 2008 covering politics and community affairs before later directing the news agency Zorro Comunicaciones, where he reported on opposition political campaigns and public affairs.
Friends say he has no criminal record in either Venezuela or the United States and has maintained a valid work permit while awaiting the outcome of his asylum proceedings.
His detention comes as immigration attorneys and advocacy groups report an increase in enforcement actions affecting migrants with pending immigration cases under the Trump administration's expanded immigration crackdown. While each case depends on its individual facts and legal status, attorneys say asylum applicants with unresolved proceedings have faced heightened scrutiny as federal authorities accelerate detention and deportation efforts.
For many Venezuelan journalists living in exile, Solano's case has become more than an individual immigration proceeding. Supporters say it underscores the uncertainty faced by reporters who fled political repression, rebuilt their lives in the United States and now find themselves navigating a rapidly changing immigration landscape while waiting for protection claims to be resolved.
