Washington, D.C. [US], July 19 (ANI): The Trump administration carried out a large-scale prisoner swap with Venezuela on Friday, sending about 250 Venezuelans — who had been deported and imprisoned in El Salvador — back to their home country in exchange for 10 U.S. nationals, officials said, according to CNN.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Venezuelan President Nayib Bukele for helping secure an agreement to release all of the American detainees.
In a post on X, Rubio wrote, “Thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump’s leadership, ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom. I want to thank my team at the Department of State and especially President Nayib Bukele for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.”
The U.S. External Office for Venezuela (VAU) also commented on X, saying, “Nothing says freedom like the American flag. Ten Americans freed from Venezuelan prisons today are coming home because of U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Venezuelan President Nayib Bukele. America First in action.”
Among the Americans released were Jorge Marcelo Vargas, Lucas Hunter, and Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, CNN reported.
In March, the Trump administration used sweeping wartime authority to deport more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador, where they were detained in the notorious mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. The deportations took immigration attorneys and family members by surprise and prompted widespread public backlash.
While the federal government has not publicly identified all those on the March flights, attorneys and relatives have confirmed the transfer of several individuals to El Salvador. The U.S. had classified the deportees as gang members in court; however, immigration attorneys, advocates, and family members have disputed those claims, saying many detainees had no criminal record.
It was not immediately clear whether the Venezuelans would remain in custody upon returning to their home country, CNN reported. (ANI)
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