Venezuelan authorities confirmed on Sunday the arrival of 175 migrants deported from the United States, including a gang leader — marking the first time Caracas has acknowledged the presence of a criminal among the deportees.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that this was the first flight in which a significant criminal was returned, with the deportee specifically claimed by Venezuela’s justice system.
He revealed that the man was not affiliated with the Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang labelled a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the United States, which is believed to have members among the deported migrants.
Cabello received the deportees at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
He explained that the criminal in question belonged to a gang called “El Cagon” from Trujillo state, though he withheld further details on the individual’s identity.
Thus far, Venezuelan officials have claimed that none of the deportees from the US were members of Tren de Aragua.
Venezuela and the United States severed diplomatic relations in 2019, but diplomatic ties were re-established in January, leading to an agreement on deportation flights.
Although cooperation was briefly interrupted in response to US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, flights resumed a week ago. This Sunday’s flight marked the third since the resumption of the deportation arrangement.
In total, 918 individuals have returned to Venezuela following their deportation from the US. Additionally, 553 migrants have been sent back from Mexico, though it remains unclear whether they were initially deported from the United States.
On Saturday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro revealed that 324 Venezuelan migrants had been sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador by the United States, though no official list of the detainees was provided.
The United Nations reports that nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled the country due to the ongoing economic crisis, which has shown signs of recovery since 2021. The Venezuelan government claims that over 1.2 million nationals have returned to their home country.
