In a coordinated effort, El Salvador is repatriating approximately 250 Venezuelan detainees in exchange for the release of U.S. nationals held in Venezuela, as announced by the U.S. and El Salvador governments.
The Central American nation transferred the detainees—migrants deported from the U.S. and incarcerated at the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot)—in return for the release of 10 U.S. citizens from Venezuela.
The plane carrying the migrants departed El Salvador and is expected to arrive in Maiquetía, Venezuela, later on Friday.
According to a senior U.S. administration official, this exchange ensures that no U.S. nationals are currently detained by the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele stated on X, “Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA).”
Bukele added that the exchange was conducted in return “for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners” as well as the U.S. citizens.
U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio acknowledged the exchange in a separate post, extending gratitude to Bukele and American officials.
U.S. officials have cited privacy concerns for not publicly identifying the U.S. nationals released in the deal.
CBS, the BBC’s U.S. partner, reported that one of the released individuals is former Navy Seal Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, who was detained in Venezuela last year during a personal trip.
The repatriated Venezuelans were initially deported by the U.S. under the Trump administration to El Salvador earlier this year, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which grants the U.S. president authority to detain and deport citizens of “enemy” nations without standard procedures.
Among those released is Oscar González Pineda, whose mother, Gertrudis, resides in western Venezuela.
In a voice message to the BBC, Gertrudis expressed, “I’m so happy my heart is overflowing,” adding, “I’m so thankful to God, to (Venezuelan) President Nicolas Maduro for fighting to free them, to the lawyers there in El Salvador.”
Oscar, a tile and carpet fitter, was detained by immigration authorities in Dallas. He believed he was being transferred to a detention facility in Texas but was instead among the 252 deportees sent to Cecot.
Gertrudis has consistently maintained that Oscar has no ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.
A senior Trump administration official stated on Friday that El Salvador made the “independent decision” to release the Venezuelan prisoners—considered gang members—for humanitarian reasons.
Some families of the Venezuelan deportees have denied any gang affiliations.
The official added that the intricate deal was finalized “down to the wire” and was only confirmed to reporters after the aircraft carrying the U.S. nationals departed Venezuelan airspace on Friday afternoon.
“We’re dealing with a regime in which there is always a degree of uncertainty on their side, and a degree of uncertainty on our side,” the official noted. “At the end of the day, everything worked out, everything is fine and everyone is safely on their way to be reunited with their loved ones.”
Relations between Bukele and U.S. President Donald Trump have strengthened in recent months, particularly as Bukele has agreed to detain deported U.S. migrants.
The exchange facilitated by El Salvador underscores the robust relationship between Trump and Bukele.
“This deal would not have been possible without President Bukele,” the administration official stated. “We extend our deep, deep gratitude.”
During a White House visit in April, the Salvadoran leader and Trump appeared amicable, engaging in frequent laughter and jokes while addressing reporters.
Bukele has supported the deportation of migrants from the United States to El Salvador’s Cecot maximum-security prison.
Trump remarked at the time that Bukele is “really helping out” the U.S. by facilitating these detentions, to which the Salvadoran president responded that his country is “very eager to help.”
Around the same period, Bukele proposed swapping Venezuelan deportees for “political prisoners,” including family members of Venezuelan opposition figures, journalists, and activists detained in a government crackdown during the 2024 elections.
“The only reason they are imprisoned is for having opposed you and your electoral fraud,” he wrote to Maduro on X.
“However, I propose a humanitarian agreement that includes the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release and surrender of an identical number (252) of the thousands of political prisoners you hold.”
While Maduro’s government rejected the deal, the administration official said they saw the proposal as a “critical opportunity” to potentially retrieve U.S. nationals.
The senior administration official noted that while the deal only pertained to U.S. nationals held in Venezuela, the Trump administration is actively pursuing the release of “dozens” of political prisoners held by the Maduro government.
The U.S. currently lacks official diplomatic relations with Venezuela, and significant sanctions have been imposed.
The administration official clarified that the lifting of sanctions was not part of the “conversation” regarding the prisoner swap.
The issue of deportations to El Salvador gained attention earlier this year with the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. He alleged “severe beatings” and “torture” during his detention in Cecot.
The Trump administration had previously alleged that Mr. Ábrego García—a citizen of El Salvador—was a member of the Salvadorian gang MS-13, allegations his lawyers and family vehemently deny.
He was returned to the U.S. in July to face human trafficking charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
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