Venezuelan officials announced the arrival of a new group of 175 expellees from the United States on Sunday. This batch included a gang leader, marking the first instance where Caracas acknowledged that a convicted criminal was part of the returning immigrants.
US President Donald Trump Since taking office in January, they have initiated a stringent approach towards immigrants, resulting in the deportation of numerous individuals to Latin American countries. These people have been labeled as "criminals" by their government.
“For the first time, during these trips... an individual of significance has arrived who was identified by Venezuela’s judicial authorities,” stated Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
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The minister further stated that the individual “does not hail from Tren de Aragua,” alluding to the Venezuelan gang which has been designated as a "foreign terrorist organization" by the United States government. The ministry also contends that numerous of the returned Venezuelan immigrants are affiliated with this group.
Cabello welcomed the migrants at the Maiquetia International Airport, which serves Caracas.
"He is associated with a gang from Trujillo state, known as 'El Cagon,' " Cabello said, without providing additional information about the criminal's identity.
Cabello stated that regarding the migrants received by Venezuela So far, none have been part of Tren de Aragua.
In 2019, Venezuela and the United States severed their diplomatic ties, however, they reconciled in January to discuss arrangements for deportation flights.
The collaboration was halted for a month following Washington's crackdown on Venezuela's oil industry, but services restarted just last week.
The flight that arrived on Sunday was the third to land since operations resumed.
A total of 918 individuals have reached Venezuela following their deportation from the United States. Additionally, 553 migrants have come back from elsewhere. Mexico , though it remained uncertain if they had been initially deported from US territory.
On Saturday, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro stated that the U.S. had deported 324 Venezuelan immigrants to a high-security prison. El Salvador , noting that an official list had not been supplied.
According to the United Nations Nearly eight million Venezuelans have departed their nation due to an economic crisis that started showing signs of improvement in 2021.
The authorities assert that over 1.2 million individuals have come back.
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