MAIQUETÍA: Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown arrived home Friday in a prisoner exchange with the United States.
The 252 men, previously held in the high-security CECOT prison, were accused without evidence of gang ties and deported under rarely used wartime powers.
Their release followed months of legal battles and political negotiations, culminating in a swap for 10 Americans or US residents held in Venezuela, along with 80 political prisoners, according to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Emotional reunions unfolded at Maiquetía airport, where families embraced loved ones they had not heard from in months.
“I don’t have words to explain how I feel!” said Juan Yamarte, whose brother Mervin was among those freed. Mervin’s mother, overjoyed, prepared a celebratory soup for his return. The men had been denied court hearings and were held incommunicado, with rights groups noting only seven had prior criminal records.
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro thanked Trump for “rectifying this irregular situation,“ while Bukele acknowledged the difficulty of negotiating with a “tyrannical regime.”
The freed Americans, including 37-year-old Lucas Hunter—detained since January—were flown to San Salvador before returning to the US.
Separately, 244 Venezuelans deported from the US and seven “rescued” children arrived in Caracas.
The Trump administration has intensified migrant crackdowns, repatriating over 8,200 Venezuelans since February. Rights groups condemned the detentions, citing lack of due process. - AFP
