Suspected gang members among Venezuelan migrants sent home

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Early Monday morning, Venezuelan deportees arrived in Caracas, with many displaying triumphant gestures as they stepped off their repatriation flight from the United States. The group, comprising approximately 200 individuals, included suspected members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, according to a Homeland Security source speaking to News Nation.

Hundreds of illegal immigrants in the gang “Tren de Aragua” were just deported…

This is how El Salvador received them.

The previous administration was letting them roam free inside our own country.pic.twitter.com/aSnrJG3c8H

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) March 16, 2025

The scene at the airport captured mixed emotions as some deportees raised their hands in apparent defiance of US authorities, while others made religious gestures upon their return to Venezuelan soil. This repatriation comes shortly after the controversial deportation of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador’s prison system under the Trump administration.

The resumption of these deportation flights follows a recent agreement between the United States and Venezuela. The previous arrangement had been halted by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on March 8, following the US Treasury Department’s decision to revoke Chevron’s Venezuelan oil export license.

Jorge Rodríguez, Maduro’s chief negotiator, explained Venezuela’s acceptance of the new agreement, stating, “Migrating is not a crime and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador.” He emphasized that the agreement would ensure the protection of deportees’ human rights during their return to Venezuela.

The return of deportation flights marks a significant shift in the ongoing immigration dialogue between the two nations, particularly following Venezuela’s earlier suspension of repatriation agreements and the controversial handling of Venezuelan migrants in El Salvador’s detention facilities.