Venezuela Agrees to Accept Deportation Flights from the U.S.

Venezuela is set to resume repatriation flights from the United States for its deported nationals after reaching an agreement with U.S. officials, a statement from a Venezuelan official on social media indicated on Saturday.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had halted these flights on March 8, following the U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to revoke Chevron’s license for exporting Venezuelan oil.

“We have come to an agreement with the U.S. government to initiate the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants, with the first flight scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday,” announced Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s Assembly and chief negotiator with the U.S. for Maduro.

Rodríguez stated that Venezuela accepted the deal to ensure “the return of our compatriots to their homeland while safeguarding their Human Rights.”

In his remarks, Rodríguez mentioned the deportation of numerous Venezuelans to a high-security facility in El Salvador during President Trump’s administration, identifying it as a significant issue.

“Migrating is not a crime, and we will continue our efforts until every individual who needs it is returned home and until we liberate our brothers held in El Salvador,” Rodríguez asserted.

Later in the day, Maduro reaffirmed the decision during a public appearance, stating, “We are resuming flights to rescue and release migrants detained in U.S. facilities.”

The Venezuelan president also placed responsibility on the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, for the welfare of those Venezuelans who have been deported to his country.

“You are responsible for their health, and it is only a matter of time before you must return them and set them free, as they are being held against their will,” Maduro said.

Mr. Trump claimed that the deported individuals were affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, referring to them as an invading force on March 15 when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely-used statute from 1798 that allows the president to deport non-citizens during wartime. A federal judge temporarily prohibited the deportations, yet flights were already underway when the ruling was issued.

Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. Department of State has classified as a foreign terrorist organization, originated in a South American prison. Its members accompanied the outflow of millions of Venezuelans predominantly seeking improved living conditions following a decade of economic turmoil.

The Trump administration has not substantiated claims that the deported individuals are associated with Tren de Aragua or that they committed any offenses while in the U.S.

CBS News acquired a list of 238 Venezuelan men deported to El Salvador last weekend on three separate flights. U.S. officials indicated that 137 of these individuals were classified as “enemy aliens” and removed under the provisions of the 18th-century law. The remaining 101 were deported through standard immigration protocols, according to official statements.

Documents obtained by CBS News revealed that at least one of the deportees, a 26-year-old barber from Venezuela, has no criminal record in the U.S. Furthermore, Venezuelan authorities confirmed he has no legal records in their country as well.

Maduro’s administration has largely resisted the entry of immigrants deported from the U.S., with such deportations dramatically increasing since Trump assumed office on January 20.

In recent weeks, approximately 350 individuals have been deported to Venezuela, including around 180 who spent as many as 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Trump administration alleged that the Venezuelans sent to Guantanamo are affiliated with Tren de Aragua but has provided limited evidence to support this claim.