In 1998, Vergara's older brother, Rafael, was murdered in Bogota. On May 9, 2011, Vergara's younger brother, Julio, was deported from the United States to Colombia after being arrested in April; Julio also had a longtime drug addiction and previous brushes with the law. "To see somebody dying over 10 years, little by little, that's the worst punishment," Vergara told Parade magazine. "Now he's like another person.
