Overview

• Two Venezuelan government planes delivered 252 nationals from El Salvador’s CECOT prison to Caracas on July 19 for reception and medical screenings.
• Ten U.S. citizens held in Venezuela were released under the same agreement and are en route back to the United States under government custody.
• Venezuelan authorities granted alternative-to-detention measures to dozens of political prisoners as part of the exchange.
• The swap resolved a diplomatic impasse that began when the Trump administration deported Venezuelans to El Salvador and designated the Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization.
• Human rights groups had criticized CECOT for harsh conditions, lack of legal representation and prolonged detention without due process.