Trump, Rubio Secure Release of Americans Held In Venezuela
On Friday, Venezuela released 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been incarcerated, as part of an agreement that facilitated the return of numerous migrants previously deported by the United States to El Salvador during the immigration enforcement measures of the Trump administration, as confirmed by officials.
This trilateral agreement represents a diplomatic achievement for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, supports President Donald Trump’s initiative to repatriate Americans held abroad, and fulfills a prisoner exchange proposal that was initiated several months ago by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, according to The Associated Press.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude towards Bukele, a supporter of Trump, stating, “Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland.”
Bukele confirmed that his nation had released all Venezuelan nationals in its custody. Maduro characterized Friday as “a day of blessings and good news for Venezuela,” declaring it “the perfect day for Venezuela.”
Central to this agreement are over 250 Venezuelan migrants who were freed by El Salvador after being detained in its infamous mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
In March, El Salvador consented to a $6 million payment from the Trump administration to hold these migrants, the majority of whom faced allegations of connections to the violent Tren de Aragua street gang.
This arrangement provoked immediate criticism after Trump invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to hasten their deportation, resulting in a prominent legal dispute that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Venezuelans were incarcerated in CECOT, a facility established as part of Bukele’s campaign against gangs. Human rights organizations have reported numerous fatalities and documented instances of torture within the prison, where access to legal representation is severely restricted.
Independent information has been limited, with the government only releasing heavily edited propaganda videos depicting tattooed inmates confined behind bars, as noted by the AP.
On Friday, the Salvadoran government released photos and videos depicting shackled Venezuelan migrants seated on buses and boarding planes, all under a significant police presence, with officers clad in full riot gear surrounding them.
One individual looked up and pointed towards the sky as he boarded a plane, while another made an obscene gesture towards the officers, as reported by the AP.
Upon their arrival in Venezuela, numerous migrants crossed themselves, shed tears, and embraced one another. They were dressed in casual clothing and wearing face masks, visibly emotional as they returned to their homeland.
Maduro asserted that several migrants experienced mistreatment while incarcerated in El Salvador, claiming that one person lost a kidney “due to the beatings he received.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello informed reporters that the men would receive medical evaluations and background checks prior to being permitted to return home.
Among those released is reportedly Andry Hernández Romero, a makeup artist who fled Venezuela last year and was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a border crossing in San Diego before being sent to El Salvador.
In April, Bukele suggested exchanging the Venezuelan detainees for an equal number of what he referred to as “political prisoners” held by Maduro. This proposal elicited a strong condemnation from Venezuelan officials, who denounced the comments as “cynical” and labeled Bukele a “neofascist,” according to the AP report.
The State Department office responsible for securing the release of American detainees shared a photograph on Friday evening showing the freed prisoners smiling aboard the plane that was bringing them home, with some proudly displaying an unfurled American flag.
The aircraft arrived late Friday at Joint Base San Antonio, where the returnees waved flags and hurried to embrace their loved ones waiting on the tarmac.
Among those released was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, whose family claims he was kidnapped in January by Venezuelan border guards while on vacation in Colombia, as reported by the AP.