The Trump administration successfully executed a significant prisoner swap with Venezuela on Friday, as confirmed by two sources familiar with the situation, according to CNN. This agreement involved the return of approximately 250 Venezuelans who were deported from the United States and had been detained in a maximum-security prison located in El Salvador. In exchange, the remaining American hostages held in Venezuela were set to return to the U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced via social media that 10 Americans are now "on their way to freedom" as part of this exchange. The swap follows a controversial deportation conducted by the Trump administration in March, where more than 200 Venezuelans were swiftly sent to El Salvador under a wartime authority. These individuals were placed in a notorious facility known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), raising concerns among immigration attorneys and family members.
The sudden deportation caught many off guard, leading to public outcry and demands for accountability. While the federal government has not publicly detailed the identities of those deported in March, attorneys and family members have confirmed that some of those individuals were indeed sent to El Salvador. The U.S. government had classified many of these deportees as gang members in court; however, advocates and family members have disputed this characterization, asserting that many detainees had no prior criminal records.
As these Venezuelans prepare to return to their home country, it remains unclear whether they will face imprisonment upon arrival. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments regarding the situation. Venezuelan officials announced the arrival of a flight from Texas on Friday, which brought back an unspecified number of Venezuelans. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello hinted at "good news for Venezuelans," mentioning that the flight included several children.
Cabello stated that more movements and additional arrivals were anticipated in the coming days. Family members of some deportees have reported being summoned for an emergency meeting in Venezuela, signaling possible developments regarding the release of their loved ones.
Earlier this year, Rubio maintained direct communication with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, especially after Bukele's meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in April. Following that meeting, Bukele proposed a prisoner swap that would involve sending back the 252 Venezuelans detained in Salvadoran prisons in exchange for political prisoners held in Venezuela. On Friday, Bukele tweeted: "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)."
The logistics of this complex prisoner swap were facilitated by the State Department's Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), as reported by a U.S. official, though additional details regarding the operation were not disclosed. Earlier this year, families of Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela participated in a virtual meeting with senior national security official Seb Gorka. This engagement led to the release of an American Air Force veteran, Joseph St. Clair, who had been imprisoned in Venezuela since November and was one of nine Americans recognized as wrongfully detained.
This story is still developing, and further updates are expected as more information becomes available.
