Latest news with #CECOT
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Special envoy calls Bukele ‘a good friend' after prisoner swap with Venezuela
U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, called Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele 'a good friend' after he helped secure the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela in exchange for the return of more than 250 Venezuelans that the U.S. had sent to be imprisoned in El Salvador. In an interview on CNN's 'State of the Union,' Boehler said the hostage exchange has been 'months in the works' and is a result of 'a great, unbelievable team, in terms of people on the ground, career people that folks don't ever hear of,' who were 'driving this bus really hard back and forth.' 'The reality here is Bukele had — who's been great — Bukele had a number of people there at CECOT. He made a deal with Venezuela, and then Venezuela released all Americans, and so our portion of that deal was to make sure that all of our boys got home,' Boehler said. CNN's Jake Tapper pressed Boehler on the Trump administration's repeated insistence that it has no influence over Bukele—an argument officials made after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador but has since returned to the U.S. 'Doesn't this exchange show the Trump administration does, in fact, have the ability to work with Bukele and to get people released from this El Salvador prison when they want to?' Tapper asked. 'Well, what it shows is that the president has been very clear. Bringing Americans home is a critical priority. We don't accept when other countries take people,' Boehler responded. 'President Bukele has been a good friend, friend enough to know what's important to the United States, and so we appreciate the fact that he cleared a deal with Venezuela to release these Americans that came home,' he continued.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Migrants freed from El Salvador reach Venezuela in US deal
MAIQUETÍA, Venezuela: Hundreds of Venezuelans swept up in President Donald Trump's immigration dragnet reached home Friday after their release from a maximum security Salvadoran jail as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The 252 men were accused — without evidence — of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT 'anti-terror' jail in March. There, they were shackled, shorn and paraded before cameras — becoming emblematic of Trump's immigration crackdown and drawing howls of protest. On Friday, after months of legal challenges and political stonewalling, the men arrived at an airport near Caracas, with several walking down the steps with their arms raised and one even kissing the tarmac. The Trump administration said they were released in exchange for 10 Americans or US residents held in Venezuela, and 'political prisoners,' who number 80, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. The migrants' return to Venezuela sparked tearful celebrations among family members who had heard nothing from them in months. 'I don't have words to explain how I feel!' said Juan Yamarte. 'My brother (Mervin) is back home, back in Venezuela.' Mervin's mother told AFP she could not contain her happiness. 'I arranged a party and I'm making a soup,' she said. The men had been deported from the United States under rarely used wartime powers and denied court hearings. Exiled Salvadoran rights group Cristosal believes that just seven of the 252 men had criminal records. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro thanked Trump for 'the decision to rectify this totally irregular situation.' The Americans and US residents released in Venezuela, whose identities have not been officially revealed, were taken to San Salvador on their way to the United States and appeared with Bukele and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler at a ceremony at the presidential palace. A video posted on X by Bukele shows the former detainees waving US flags as they descended from their aircraft. 'It is hard to negotiate with a tyrannical regime really, but we were able to do it,' Bukele said. 'We have been in these negotiations trying to set (not just) you — all of you — free, but also 80 political prisoners from Venezuela.' For his part, Boehler thanked Bukele for being 'an unbelievable friend' to the United States. Families in the United States were also excited to see their loved ones return. One had been imprisoned for nearly a year. Global Reach, an NGO that works for wrongly detained Americans, said one of the men freed was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, held since he was 'kidnapped' by Venezuelan border guards while vacationing in Colombia in January. 'We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal,' it quoted his younger sister Sophie Hunter as saying. Uruguay said one of its citizens, a resident in the United States, was among those liberated after nine months in Venezuelan detention. — AFP
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
Migrants freed from El Salvador reach Venezuela
MAIQUETIA: Hundreds of Venezuelans swept up in President Donald Trump's immigration dragnet reached home after their release from a maximum security Salvadoran jail as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The 252 men were accused of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT "anti-terror" jail in March. There, they were shackled, shorn and paraded before cameras — becoming emblematic of Trump's immigration crackdown and drawing howls of protest. On Friday, after months of legal challenges and political stonewalling, the men arrived at an airport near Caracas, with several walking down the steps with their arms raised and one even kissing the tarmac. The Trump administration said they were released in exchange for 10 Americans or US residents held in Venezuela, and "political prisoners," who number 80, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. The migrants' return to Venezuela sparked tearful celebrations among family members who had heard nothing from them in months. The Americans and US residents released in Venezuela were taken to San Salvador on their way to the United States. — AFP
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
US exchanges Venezuelans held in El Salvador prison for Americans
Hundreds of Venezuelans swept up in Donald Trump's immigration dragnet were abruptly freed from a maximum security Salvadoran jail and sent home as part of a prisoner swap Friday, July 18, ending a months-long high-profile ordeal. The Trump administration said they were released in exchange for 10 Americans or US residents held in Venezuela, and an undefined number of "political prisoners." The 252 men were accused – without evidence – of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT "anti-terror" jail last March. There, they were shackled, shorn and paraded before cameras – becoming emblematic of Trump's immigration crackdown and drawing howls of protest. On Friday, after months of legal challenges and political stonewalling, the men arrived at an airport near Caracas. "Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country," Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said on social media. The men had been deported from the United States under rarely used wartime powers and denied court hearings. Exiled Salvadoran rights group Cristosal believes that just seven of the 252 men had criminal records. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro thanked Trump for "the decision to rectify this totally irregular situation." 'High price' Global Reach, an NGO that works for wrongly detained Americans, said one of the men freed was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, held since he was "kidnapped" by Venezuelan border guards while vacationing in Colombia in January. "We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," it quoted his younger sister Sophie Hunter as saying. Uruguay said one of its citizens, resident in the United States, was among those liberated after nine months in Venezuelan detention. Another plane arrived at Maiquetia airport earlier Friday from Houston with 244 Venezuelans deported from the United States and seven children who Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said had been "rescued from the kidnapping to which they were being subjected." The children were among 30 who Caracas says remained in the US after their Venezuelan parents were deported. Clamping down on migrants is a flagship pursuit of Trump's administration, which has ramped up raids and deportations. It has agreed with Maduro to send undocumented Venezuelans back home, and flights have been arriving near daily also from Mexico, where many got stuck trying to enter the United States. Official figures show that since February, more than 8,200 people have been repatriated to Venezuela from the United States and Mexico, including some 1,000 children. The Venezuelans detained in El Salvador had no right to phone calls or visits, and their relatives unsuccessfully requested proof of life. Bukele had CECOT built as part of his war on criminal gangs, but he agreed to receive millions of dollars from the United States to house the Venezuelans there. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have denounced the detentions as a violation of human rights.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Migrants Freed From El Salvador Reach Venezuela In US Prisoner Deal
Hundreds of Venezuelans swept up in President Donald Trump's immigration dragnet reached home Friday after their release from a maximum security Salvadoran jail as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The 252 men were accused -- without evidence -- of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT "anti-terror" jail in March. There, they were shackled, shorn and paraded before cameras -- becoming emblematic of Trump's immigration crackdown and drawing howls of protest. On Friday, after months of legal challenges and political stonewalling, the men arrived at an airport near Caracas, with several walking down the steps with their arms raised and one even kissing the tarmac. The Trump administration said they were released in exchange for 10 Americans or US residents held in Venezuela, and "political prisoners," who number 80, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. The migrants' return to Venezuela sparked tearful celebrations among family members who had heard nothing from them in months. "I don't have words to explain how I feel!" said Juan Yamarte. "My brother (Mervin) is back home, back in Venezuela." Mervin's mother told AFP she could not contain her happiness. "I arranged a party and I'm making a soup," she said. The men had been deported from the United States under rarely used wartime powers and denied court hearings. Exiled Salvadoran rights group Cristosal believes that just seven of the 252 men had criminal records. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro thanked Trump for "the decision to rectify this totally irregular situation." The Americans and US residents released in Venezuela, whose identities have not been officially revealed, were taken to San Salvador on their way to the United States and appeared with Bukele and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler at a ceremony at the presidential palace. A video posted on X by Bukele shows the former detainees waving US flags as they descended from their aircraft. "It is hard to negotiate with a tyrannical regime really, but we were able to do it," Bukele said. "We have been in these negotiations trying to set (not just) you -- all of you -- free, but also 80 political prisoners from Venezuela." For his part, Boehler thanked Bukele for being "an unbelievable friend" to the United States. Families in the United States were also excited to see their loved ones return. One had been imprisoned for nearly a year. Global Reach, an NGO that works for wrongly detained Americans, said one of the men freed was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, held since he was "kidnapped" by Venezuelan border guards while vacationing in Colombia in January. "We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal," it quoted his younger sister Sophie Hunter as saying. Uruguay said one of its citizens, a resident in the United States, was among those liberated after nine months in Venezuelan detention. Another plane arrived at Maiquetia airport earlier Friday from Houston with 244 Venezuelans deported from the United States and seven children, who Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said had been "rescued from the kidnapping to which they were being subjected." The children were among 30 who Caracas says remained in the US after their Venezuelan parents were deported. Clamping down on migrants is a flagship pursuit of Trump's administration, which has ramped up raids and deportations. Washington has agreed with Maduro to send undocumented Venezuelans back home, and flights have been arriving near daily also from Mexico, where many got stuck trying to enter the United States. Official figures show that since February, more than 8,200 people have been repatriated to Venezuela from the United States and Mexico, including some 1,000 children. The Venezuelans detained in El Salvador had no right to phone calls or visits, and their relatives unsuccessfully requested proof of life. Bukele had CECOT built as part of his war on criminal gangs, but he agreed to receive millions of dollars from the United States to house the Venezuelans there. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have denounced the detentions. A photo released by the Salvadoran presidency of some of the men headed back home to Venezuela AFP There had been little to no news on the Venezuelan men's fate since the US deported them to El Salvador in March 2025 AFP The 252 men were accused -- without evidence -- of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT 'anti-terror' jail in March AFP
