Carrera

A longtime friend, Maria Carrera, told The Times in 2023 that Buchanan was previously living with a niece in Riverside County.

Carrera said Buchanan purchased his SUV while he looked for a permanent home.

Nereida Carrera, 40, a political activist who worked on the campaign of an opposition leader in Venezuela’s presidential election last year, fled with her family after the nation’s authoritarian leader claimed victory despite ample evidence that he had lost.

Carrera’s husband managed to lodge an asylum claim at the U.S. border and was given a permit that allows him to legally work in Florida while he awaits the outcome of his case.

Carrera and her two daughters, 20 and 11, had an appointment to present their asylum claims at the Mexicali border on Feb. 3.