A Saint Lucian man, recently deported from the United States, has come forward with troubling claims of abuse and deception surrounding his removal from the country. Eddie Bellas, originally from Vieux Fort, recounted a harrowing series of events that began with what he believed was a routine court appearance.
In an emotional and detailed account, Bellas described how a warrant for his arrest blindsided him after arriving at a U.S. court with a valid notice to appear on the same date.
“I told the clerk that the notice to appear was dated for that exact date, so there must have been a discrepancy,” Bellas explained. However, he was soon surrounded by police officers who informed him he was to be taken before a judge immediately.
According to Bellas, when he questioned the nature of the warrant and refused to consent to the proceedings, the situation escalated violently.
“They forcefully attacked me. I was pressed to the ground. I was pepper-sprayed and beaten,” he said, recalling that one female officer repeatedly punched him in the back. “At that point, I thought I was going to die. They even put a bag over my face.”
Bellas claims he was left in a cold room overnight in severe pain, only to appear before a judge the next day while barely able to see or respond due to the injuries he sustained.
“I asked the judge why I was being detained. The judge didn’t answer. He just proceeded with the traffic violation charges, which were immediately discharged,” Bellas said. “I thought I was going home, but then an officer told me that ICE had placed a detainer on me.”
Bellas was deported on May 24 and arrived in Saint Lucia at 4 a.m. via Global X airlines. He was still in chains when Saint Lucian authorities were asked to sign his release documents.
“When I entered the interview room in Saint Lucia, the officer asked me for my travel documents,” Bellas said. “I told her, ‘I just got off the plane. I thought you had my passport.’ That’s when I realised how deceptive the entire process had been.”
Bellas is now seeking answers and accountability, claiming he was never properly informed of the charges against him and was subjected to excessive force and mistreatment.
