US-bound deportation aircraft arrives in Venezuela, marking resumption of expulsion agreements between the two nations
Updated Article:
Today, the first flight of Venezuelan migrants, deported from the United States, has taken off, en route to Venezuela. This action follows an agreement made between both governments over the weekend to reignite deportation flights.
The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs verified the departure of the flight from the country. The flight stopped in Honduras before a plane change ensued.
"Venezuelan illegal aliens' deportation flights have commenced via Honduras," the department announced on their platform. These deportees had no legitimate claim to remain in the United States. We anticipate a steady influx of such flights to Venezuela in the future. The U.S. extends its gratitude to Honduran President Castro and her administration for their collaboration in curbing illegal immigration.
Honduras's Secretary of Foreign Affairs reported that the flight carried 199 Venezuelan citizens. The transfer took approximately three and a half hours and occurred in an orderly and safe manner, as confirmed by Enrique Reina in a post on his platform.
Upon completion of the transfer, the "Venezuelan vessel" departed for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It is estimated to arrive at an airfield near Caracas in the upcoming hours.
Deportations to Venezuela had been temporarily halted due to the Trump administration's decision in February to revoke a license that allowed American oil company Chevron to carry out certain operations in the South American country.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated at the time that this decision impacted the flights to Venezuela, leading the Trump administration to threaten additional sanctions against the South American country.
The resumption of deportation flights comes on the heels of growing controversy in Venezuela over the U.S. deporting 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador. Some of these migrants reportedly ended up in the notorious Cecot mega-prison.
The U.S. accused these deportees of being members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua. However, relatives of some deportees claim that the migrants were not involved in any criminal activity.
In response, Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez Gómez announced the agreement to resume deportations in a statement on Saturday, following a two-week pause in flights from the U.S.
"Migration is not a crime, and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who need it and until we rescue our brothers and sisters kidnapped in El Salvador," Rodríguez stated on Saturday.
CNN has reached out to the U.S. State Department and the Salvadoran presidency for comments regarding these remarks.
Venezuela currently does not maintain diplomatic relationships within the U.S. Flight tracking data suggests that deportees were transferred on Sunday from a Texas charter flight to a plane bound for Caracas. This airbase in Honduras has previously been used for migrant transfers.
The White House has yet to comment on Sunday's deportation flight.
On Wednesday, Maduro ordered his government to increase the number of flights required to repatriate detained Venezuelan migrants in the U.S.
- The agreement between the Venezuelan and American governments has led to the resumption of flagged flights carrying Venezuelans, marking the resumption of deportations to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- The first deportation flight, facilitated by Honduras, is en route to the Americas, specifically to Venezuela, carrying 199 Venezuelan citizens from the United States.
- The White House has not yet confirmed or commented on the confirmation of the resumption of the controversial practice of deporting Venezuelan migrants to South America, amidst growing controversy over their treatment in countries like El Salvador.
