A large group of Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States returned home on Friday after spending months locked up in a harsh Salvadoran jail. Their release came as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between the US and Venezuela, ending an ordeal that human rights groups had repeatedly criticized.
Two planes carrying the freed men landed at the main airport near Caracas. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro publicly thanked US President Donald Trump for the agreement. “Free, free at last!” Maduro said at a public event, celebrating the return of his countrymen.
Americans Freed in Exchange
According to the Trump administration, the US released these Venezuelan migrants in exchange for 10 American citizens who were being held in Venezuela. Venezuela also released an unknown number of its political prisoners as part of the deal.
Earlier this year, the US had deported 252 Venezuelans to El Salvador. They were locked up without trial in the notorious CECOT prison, accused of being part of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang, though no solid proof was presented. Trump had used rare wartime powers to bypass normal legal processes and send the men directly to the Central American country.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed the handover, writing on X, “Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country.”
Families Celebrate Return
For many families in Venezuela, the return of their loved ones was emotional. Mercedes Yamarte, whose son Mervin was one of the detainees in CECOT, told AFP, “I can’t contain my happiness.” She added, “I arranged the reception, what am I going to do? I’ll make a soup.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and other officials welcomed the first plane. As passengers stepped out, they were heard singing the Venezuelan national anthem.
Maduro, expressing relief, said he appreciated Trump’s decision “to rectify this totally irregular situation.”
Officials have not confirmed the exact number of deportees on the two flights.
US Officials Confirm Americans Released
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that “ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom” as a result of the swap. He also confirmed that political prisoners in Venezuela had been released. Rubio thanked President Bukele of El Salvador for assisting in securing the Americans’ freedom. The US embassy in Caracas shared a photo showing the freed Americans holding US flags.
Families in the United States also celebrated. Some of the Americans had been detained for nearly a year. NGO Global Reach, which supports Americans wrongly imprisoned abroad, said one of the freed men was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter. Venezuelan guards had allegedly detained him during a vacation in Colombia. His sister Sophie Hunter said, “We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal.”
Uruguay’s government confirmed that one of its citizens, who was living in the US, was also released after spending nine months in Venezuelan custody.
Maduro: “Terrorists for Innocents”
Venezuela’s government described the exchange as costly. In an official statement, Maduro said the country had paid a “high price” for the return of its citizens, calling the swap “terrorists for innocents.” The government also said that some Venezuelans jailed for minor crimes or political offenses were granted alternative legal measures rather than remaining in prison.
The local rights group Foro Penal told AFP it was working to confirm the identities of the freed individuals.
Children Rescued from Deportation
In another development, a separate flight from Houston landed earlier on Friday. It carried 244 Venezuelans deported from the US along with seven children. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed these children had been “rescued from the kidnapping to which they were being subjected.” According to Venezuela, 30 Venezuelan children still remain in the US, separated from their deported parents.
Deportations Continue
Cracking down on migrants remains a top priority for the Trump administration. The US has increased deportations and border enforcement in recent months. Under a recent agreement with Maduro’s government, the US is now returning undocumented Venezuelans directly to their home country. Daily deportation flights are also arriving from Mexico, where many migrants became stranded.
Since February, official figures show over 8,200 Venezuelans have been sent back from the US and Mexico, including nearly 1,000 children.
Detentions Criticized by Rights Groups
The Venezuelans detained in El Salvador were denied basic rights. They could not make phone calls or receive visitors. Families requested proof of life but received no response.
El Salvador’s CECOT prison, built as part of President Bukele’s war on gangs, became their holding center after the US paid millions of dollars to house them there.
Rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned the detentions, calling them serious human rights violations.