Joe Exotic’s brief marital bliss was shattered after his husband, Jorge Flores Maldonado, was deported to Mexico just one month after their prison wedding.
The ‘Tiger King’ star, who is serving a 21-year federal sentence, broke the news on social media, saying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Flores Maldonado shortly after his release from prison.
Highlights
- Joe Exotic's husband, Jorge Flores Maldonado, was deported to Mexico one month after their prison wedding despite being recently released from prison.
- Flores Maldonado was taken into ICE custody immediately after his sentence and deported hours after a brief immigration hearing.
- Joe Exotic, serving 21 years for attempted murder-for-hire and wildlife violations, has publicly pleaded with President Trump for a pardon.
- He expressed willingness to move to Mexico if allowed to reunite with his husband.
“They have officially taken him to an ICE detention center for his hearing to either stay in America or go back to Mexico,” Joe Exotic wrote in an Instagram post.
Joe Exotic’s husband, Jorge Flores Maldonado, was deported to Mexico a month after their prison wedding
Image credits: Joe_exotic/Instagram
Joe Exotic, 62, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, gained popularity following the 2020 Netflix series about his life.
Joe Exotic has a long history of breeding and keeping large numbers of exotic cats at his private zoo in Oklahoma. He was accused of treating exotic animals poorly: feeding them inadequately, keeping them in cramped conditions, and allegedly killing some, including five tigers shot to make space.
He is serving 21 years for his alleged involvement in attempting to have Carole Baskin, his rival and founder of Big Cat Rescue, killed.
Image credits: Joe_exotic/X
Flores Maldonado, 33, was serving time for immigration-related offenses.
He was taken into custody by ICE immediately after completing his sentence, and after a short immigration hearing, he was deported back to Mexico.
TMZ confirmed the deportation took place just hours after the hearing.
The couple had only recently tied the knot while incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Joe Exotic had announced their marriage on X on April 21, sharing a photoshopped image of the two in suits.
“Never been more proud of someone,” he wrote. “Meet my husband Jorge Flores Maldonado.”
Image credits: Joe_exotic/X
Netflix’s 2020 docuseries ‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’ chronicled the work of the eccentric owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma and his intense feud with animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
He was convicted in 2019 on 21 charges, including wildlife violations and two counts of attempted murder-for-hire against Baskin.
Prosecutors said he offered $10,000 to a hitman who was actually an undercover FBI agent.
Despite his criminal past, Joe Exotic has repeatedly insisted he is innocent and has spent years appealing for a presidential pardon, often using the hashtag #FreeJoeExotic to plead his case.
Image credits: joe_exotic
Following Flores Maldonado’s deportation, Joe Exotic posted a heartfelt plea to Trump.
“Pray that we make it back together one day. I am falsely incarcerated in my own country. I don’t belong here. I pray President Trump signs my pardon soon,” he wrote.
He added he is willing to go to Mexico if it means being reunited with his husband.
“Mr. President, it's really past time to have one of your people watch Tiger King Season 2, where they all admitted to perjury and a plot to kill me on world television and let me out. I know that you are not fond of my lifestyle, but I supported you — just allow me to go to Mexico with my husband,” he wrote on X.
Image credits: joe_exotic
He’s also attempted to appeal to Trump through unconventional means.
In an X post dated May 10, Joe Exotic offered to buy one of Trump's proposed $5 million ‘gold cards.’ The proposed gold card program is a policy idea to offer U.S. residency in exchange for high-value investment.
He offered half his earnings in order to bring back Jorge Flores Maldonado.
“It’s all about dollars, right?” he wrote. “I’m willing to work for my freedom and his right to live his life with me.”
Joe Exotic, who has been married five times, had previously hinted that staying in the U.S. might not be an option for the couple.
Image credits: Joe_exotic/X
Back in October 2024, when he announced his engagement to his 396,000 followers, he wrote, “Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we’ll be leaving America when we both get out. Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago.”
But leaving America may not be so simple. With his felony record, Joe Exotic could face difficulty entering Mexico. The country can deny entry to individuals with violent criminal records, even if they are married to a Mexican citizen.
Despite everything, Joe Exotic remains hopeful.
In an Instagram message posted after Flores Maldonado’s deportation, he reflected on their time together.
“You know, I could die tomorrow, and I could go knowing what true love was really all about. Jorge gave me the most loving and devoted 10 months of my life. I pray God will give me the chance to experience life with him again.”
The couple have been married for 10 months
Image credits: joe_exotic
The couple’s relationship reportedly earned respect among other inmates. Joe Exotic wrote that many fellow prisoners admired their bond, seeing it as genuine and drama-free—a rare connection behind bars.
Flores Maldonado’s deportation fits into a larger trend of stricter immigration policies under the Trump administration.
In recent cases, many individuals, including LGBTQ+ detainees, have been quickly removed from the U.S. without much chance to appeal.
For now, Joe Exotic remains incarcerated in Texas and continues to plead for his pardon, and for his husband to be returned to the U.S.