Fri Jul 18 21:08:52 UTC 2025: ## News Article: US Deal Sends Deported Venezuelans Home in Exchange for American Prisoners
**Washington D.C.** – In a complex international deal, nearly 200 Venezuelan men deported from the United States to a controversial El Salvadorian prison are heading home, in exchange for the release of ten Americans and a number of political prisoners held in Venezuela. The agreement, confirmed Friday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks a significant development in President Donald Trump’s controversial mass deportation policies and his administration’s relationship with Venezuela.
The deported Venezuelans were initially sent to El Salvador’s maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) earlier this year under the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law. The Trump administration argued that the deportations were necessary to combat an “invasion” of criminals, specifically members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
However, the deportations sparked outrage, with critics alleging that some individuals were unfairly targeted based on superficial characteristics and that the process violated their due process rights. Lawyers for the deported Venezuelans raised concerns about the conditions within the CECOT prison, known for alleged human rights abuses.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, a US ally, celebrated the deal, confirming the transfer of the deportees. “We carried out this exchange in return for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners… as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages,” he stated. He also reiterated that all the deportees were “accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua”.
Venezuela has confirmed the arrival of 252 citizens, along with seven children separated from their parents during deportation. The Maduro government, which has historically refused to accept deportees from the US, has signaled a willingness to cooperate in recent months, exemplified by a recent meeting between US Special Envoy Richard Grenell and Venezuelan officials.
The deal highlights the complex interplay between Trump’s domestic immigration policies and his foreign policy objectives. It also raises ethical questions about using mass deportations as leverage in international negotiations and the potential for wrongful deportations.
Furthermore, the deal calls into question previous claims from both the Trump administration and President Bukele regarding their inability to facilitate the return of the deported men. Previous reports suggest El Salvador received $6 million in exchange for housing the deportees.
The agreement comes amidst internal reports of disarray within the Trump administration, including rival deals proposed by Grenell and Rubio, causing confusion and uncertainty. The administration is also facing increasing domestic scrutiny regarding its unwillingness to repatriate immigrants who may have been unjustly deported, and for the claims of wrongfully accusing individuals deported from the US as members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
First Piper 