Americans freed from Venezuela in prisoner exchange

REUTERS/LEONARDO FERNANDEZ VILORIA/FILE PHOTO

Family members of Venezuelan migrants, who the U.S. alleged were members of the Tren de Aragua gang and sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, hold signs and pictures of their loved ones, during a protest outside the United Nations building, in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 22. El Salvador is sending home Venezuelans detained in the country in a prison exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, President Nayib Bukele said today.

WASHINGTON/CARACAS >> El Salvador is sending home Venezuelans detained in the country in a prison exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, President Nayib Bukele said today.

Bukele, in a post on X, said those freed in Venezuela were en route to El Salvador from where they would continue “their journey home.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of “ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela” and thanked Bukele for his help in securing the agreement.

Reuters reported earlier today that the prison swap was happening.

The Venezuelan government confirmed that 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador had been freed, calling the El Salvador prison where they have been held a “concentration camp.”

The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures.

Don't miss out on what's happening!

Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!

Email Sign Up
By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.

Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administration’s allegations in court.

Venezuela’s government has always decried the detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the government’s critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela.

Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas, Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota, Kristina Cooke in San Francisco and Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City.

See more:World news

4 Comments
By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.
Please log in to comment