Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed on Sunday after a weeks-long standoff between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan govt, signaling a deal have been reached between the 2 international locations.
A flight wearing 199 unlawful extraterrestrial beings – together with participants of the violent Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang – to Venezuela landed Sunday, the Division of Hometown Safety (DHS) showed to Fox Information Virtual.
The Trump management has vowed to strike a take care of the Venezuelan govt to simply accept flights wearing deportees from the USA, however has been restricted within the regularity of the transfers after President Nicholás Maduro halted the flights previous this month – with handiest 4 flights being gained by means of the Venezuelan govt since Trump was once sworn into workplace.
VENEZUELA TO RESUME ACCEPTING US DEPORTATION FLIGHTS
Venezuelan migrants flown from Guantanamo Bay by the use of Honduras stroll up a ladder after arriving on a deportation flight at Simon Bolivar World Airport in Maiquetia, Los angeles Guaira State, Venezuela, February 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
Maduro refused to obtain the flights after Trump introduced that the U.S. would terminate the Biden-era allow permitting Chevron to export Venezuelan oil, successfully final off a big earnings supply for the rustic.
Then again, Venezuelan officers have showed that a deal was reached on Saturday.
“Venezuela reviews that, inside the framework of the Go back to the Hometown Plan and with the function of returning our compatriots to their country with the safeguarding in their human rights, we’ve agreed with the U.S. govt to renew the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an preliminary flight day after today, Sunday, March 23,” Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s Assembly and leader negotiator with the U.S., stated in a statement posted to X by means of the community Telesur.
Flight-tracking data presentations a aircraft operated by means of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) departed El Paso and was once scheduled to land at Soto Cano air base in Honduras Sunday afternoon. A 2nd aircraft operated by means of Venezuelan state airline Conviasa was once set to land on the air base inside an hour of ICE’s arrival, reputedly for a handoff between officers.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters right through an match to commemorate the thirty sixth anniversary of the social rebellion referred to as ‘Caracazo’, which past due President Hugo Chavez stated marked the beginning of his revolution, in Caracas, Venezuela February 27, 2025. (REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno)
The deal comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed that Venezuela would face “serious, and escalating sanctions” if the rustic persevered to refuse to simply accept its voters that had confronted deportation.
“Venezuela is obligated to simply accept its repatriated voters from the U.S. This isn’t a subject matter for debate or negotiation,” Rubio posted to X. “Nor does it benefit any praise. Until the Maduro regime accepts a constant waft of deportation flights, with out additional excuses or delays, the U.S. will impose new, serious, and escalating sanctions.”
The Trump management didn’t right away reply to Fox Information Virtual’s request for remark.
In contemporary weeks, roughly 350 migrants had been deported to Venezuela, together with more or less 180 people who have been detained on the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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President Donald Trump hosts his first cupboard assembly as he sits subsequent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2025. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Remaining week, the Trump management flew over 200 Venezuelan migrants to a high-security jail in El Salvador in coordination with President Nayib Bukele, in spite of a federal pass judgement on’s order briefly blocking off the deportations.
“Migrating isn’t a criminal offense, and we can no longer relaxation till we reach the go back of all those that require it and till we rescue our brothers abducted in El Salvador,” Rodríguez stated.
Madura additionally went directly to denounce the flights, relating to the Venezuelans being detained in El Salvador as “abducted” on Saturday.
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In an interview with Fox Information Radio, Rubio thanked Bukele for his nation’s acceptance of the migrants.
“Venezuela must be taking them, however they do not want to take them,” Rubio stated. “And so, we’re lucky to have a pal like President Bukele who, as a part of my assembly with him, stated we can take them for a fragment of what it prices you guys to accommodate them for your personal jail device.”
Fox Information Virtual’s Louis Casiano and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this record.
