Last December, the Department of Homeland Security launched a website highlighting people it described as the "worst of the worst" who had been arrested during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
When the site went live, it quickly became clear that it contained numerous errors. Although the agency said the thousands of people listed had been arrested for or convicted of serious crimes, some of those included in the list were linked only to relatively minor offenses.
One of the individuals labeled as one of the "worst of the worst" was Telesforo Cerero-Palacios, a home renovator in Minnesota who says he has no criminal record despite appearing on the DHS website.
"What happened here? Why does their system say this about you?" Cerero-Palacios, 53, recalled a relative asking him after seeing his name on the list.
The site included Cerero-Palacios' photo and described the alleged offense tied to his name as "dangerous drugs." But according to a DHS document obtained by ABC News, Cerero-Palacios had no criminal history.
Cerero-Palacios said he has never been accused of any drug related crime. ABC News reviewed court records and found several traffic and parking tickets and one small claims case, but no drug charges against him.
In an interview with the outlet, Cerero-Palacios said immigration agents entered his home in April 2025 while searching for a relative they wanted to detain. During the visit, officers asked him about his immigration status, to which Cerero-Palacios told them he was undocumented and was then taken into custody.
A DHS document reviewed by ABC News supports that account. The document also noted that Cerero-Palacios had been arrested in 1998 for giving a police officer a false name, though the case was dismissed in 2000.
Despite that earlier arrest, the same document showed that DHS issued Cerero-Palacios a non immigrant visa on three occasions through 2015.
"This illegal alien was previously arrested for giving a false name to a peace officer. The FBI number connected to this drug charge is linked to multiple aliases, including Telesforo Cerero-Palacios," an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told ABC News.
As of March 5, it remained unclear what drug charges the spokesperson was referring to. The agency did not respond to questions about whether he had been mistakenly included and did not provide additional information about the case.
Cerero-Palacios spent 16 days in immigration detention last year before being released after posting bond. He said appearing on the website made him fearful of leaving his home except to go to work.
"I was afraid to leave the home thinking that they might detain me again," Cerero-Palacios said.
Cerero-Palacios remains in immigration proceedings and is scheduled to appear in court in April. He says the government's claims about him have deeply affected his life.
"Imagine how many people have seen my photo? My reputation is ruined. They'll say, 'Oh, I thought he was a hard worker, but he's involved with drugs,'" he said.
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