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13h ago

Prisoner Swap Repatriates Over 200 Venezuelans and Frees 10 Americans

Lawmakers demand transparency over a $6 million U.S.–El Salvador deal that placed migrants in CECOT under the Alien Enemies Act.

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Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, right, and First Lady Cilia Flores welcome children of Venezuelan migrants, whose parents were deported separately from the United States, at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello welcomes children of Venezuelan migrants, whose parents were deported separately from the United States, at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, right, and First Lady Cilia Flores welcome children of Venezuelan migrants, whose parents were deported separately from the United States, at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Overview

  • Over 200 Venezuelans deported under the Alien Enemies Act were flown from El Salvador’s CECOT prison to Caracas on July 18 in exchange for detained Americans.
  • Ten U.S. nationals held by Nicolás Maduro’s government were released and transported toward U.S. custody as part of the trilateral swap.
  • The Trump administration’s secret $6 million agreement with President Nayib Bukele to fund migrant detention at CECOT has faced legal challenges over due process and Congressional oversight.
  • El Salvador informed a U.N. working group that deportees remained under U.S. legal responsibility, contradicting official claims that Salvadoran authorities held full jurisdiction.
  • Human rights organizations have documented torture, overcrowding and deaths at CECOT, fueling bipartisan calls for the administration to disclose the full terms of the detention pact.