In a significant development, dozens of Venezuelans previously deported by President Donald Trump to a harsh prison in El Salvador are being repatriated to their homeland.
This exchange is part of a bilateral agreement aimed at securing the release of American citizens detained in Venezuela.
Reports from Reuters and Bloomberg indicate that over 200 Venezuelans, many of whom were summarily sent to the Salvadoran Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), will be returned to Caracas.
In return, the Venezuelan government is expected to release five U.S. citizens and five lawful permanent residents back into American custody.
This situation comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s attempts to negotiate a release for Americans held in Venezuela, which involved the controversial deportation of individuals labeled as Tren de Aragua gang members.
The deal has raised questions about the treatment of those Venezuelans detained at CECOT, particularly given that some have already been held for over four months.
Only one individual, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, has successfully returned to the U.S. after being deported to the Salvadoran facility.
Abrego Garcia, originally from El Salvador and residing in Maryland, was taken back to the U.S. following a protracted court battle over his arrest and removal.
Initially described as having been deported by mistake, U.S. officials later claimed they no longer had jurisdiction over him.
He was ultimately returned to face federal charges in Tennessee related to immigrant smuggling.
Recent court filings have shed light on the troubling conditions inside the Salvadoran prison, which some advocates have referred to as a “tropical gulag.”
Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have reported allegations of severe beatings, sleep deprivation, and inadequate nutrition, alongside claims of psychological torture experienced by detainees.
The State Department has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond.
Despite the previous claims of the Trump administration that deportees in El Salvador fell outside its jurisdiction, these individuals have been utilized as bargaining chips in the ongoing negotiations over prisoner exchanges.
These negotiations have seen tensions between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential envoy Richard Grenell, with reports suggesting that progress had stalled until the most recent announcement.
The Venezuelan government’s demand for the return of its citizens has been a long-standing point of contention, particularly voiced by President Nicolas Maduro, who criticized both the Bukele administration in El Salvador and the Trump-led U.S. government for human rights abuses in relation to the treatment of deportees.
The conditions in CECOT have been described by humanitarian organizations as inhumane, prompting accusations of being a concentration camp.
Since March 15, approximately 250 Venezuelans have been deported under the Alien Enemies Act, which designated those accused of gang affiliations as “alien enemies” subject to expedited removal without due process.
The White House has argued that Maduro orchestrated an organized “invasion” of gang members into the U.S., a claim that contradicts assessments made by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Legal representatives for the deported immigrants continue to argue against the actions taken under the Alien Enemies Act, raising potential challenges in court.
Many federal judges have temporarily halted immigration officials from making further deportations of Venezuelan migrants under this controversial law.
In light of these developments, lawyers for the detained individuals inside CECOT are advocating for class-action relief, aiming to provide opportunities for detainees to contest allegations made against them legally.
image source from：independent
