Venezuela Denies Deportees’ Ties to Tren de Aragua as Deportation Controversy Deepens
CARACAS – A heated dispute has erupted between Venezuela and the United States following the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello vehemently refuted claims made by Washington that the deported individuals were affiliated with the notorious Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua.
Cabello, a prominent figure in the Venezuelan government, asserted on Friday that not a single one of the deportees was a member of the now-defunct Tren de Aragua organization. He stated that he has information based on his own sources and US media.
The US, under the Trump administration, justified the mass deportations by invoking an obscure wartime law. The White House labeled the deportees as members of Tren de Aragua, which Washington has officially designated as a terrorist group and alien enemy. This designation enabled the administration to bypass standard deportation procedures and expedite their removal from the US.
Despite a judge’s attempt to halt the deportations, the Trump administration proceeded with the measure, sending over 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador. Shockingly, 137 of these individuals were deported under the wartime act. The deportees are now being held in El Salvador’s maximum-security anti-terrorism prison, with the potential for their detention to be extended beyond the initial one-year period.
The situation has caused immense distress and uncertainty for the families and lawyers of the deportees. They have been desperately seeking information about their relatives and clients, many of whom they have been unable to contact since their deportation. Calls for the immediate return of the deportees to Venezuela have grown louder, with accusations of human rights violations leveled against both the US and El Salvador.
Venezuela maintains that Tren de Aragua was effectively dismantled in 2023. The claim that the gang continues to operate is merely a political tactic by the Venezuelan opposition. Cabello challenged the US to provide evidence to support its claims.
The existence of Tren de Aragua is a lie, a massive lie, and we have the means to prove it, Cabello stated firmly. If the United States refuses to recognize this reality, that’s their prerogative.
Tren de Aragua, notorious for its involvement in sex trafficking, contract killings, and other heinous crimes, originated in a prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state. Over the past decade, as Venezuela experienced a significant migrant exodus, the gang’s influence spread beyond its home country, reaching the US and other nations, according to US authorities and media reports.
The Trump administration is facing increasing pressure to provide more details and legal justification for the deportations. A US judge has requested further information, setting a deadline of March 25 for the administration to respond.
Cabello also highlighted that of the 920 migrants who have been returned to Venezuela via five flights since February, only 16 have ongoing judicial processes in Venezuela. This further underscores the Venezuelan government’s claim that the majority of deportees have no prior criminal record in Venezuela.
The deportation flights have become a point of contention between Caracas and Washington. The US accused Venezuela of making false statements regarding a deportation flight that was purportedly repatriated via Mexico. In response, a Venezuelan lawmaker has accused Washington of obstructing direct repatriation flights from the US to Venezuela. Caracas has declared its readiness to resume these flights, seeking a more humane and efficient approach to managing migration flows.
Adding to the diplomatic tensions, Canada’s government announced sanctions against eight senior officials in Venezuela’s government. These sanctions were imposed in response to alleged human rights violations and the undermining of democracy.
Caracas responded swiftly and critically to the Canadian sanctions, dismissing them as ridiculous. The Venezuelan government accused Canada of attempting to ingratiate itself with Washington’s agenda.
The situation is increasingly complex, with accusations flying back and forth between the involved nations.
Several questions continue to arise. Was it appropriate for the United States to deport more than 200 people to El Salvador? Were these people actually connected to this criminal gang, or were they simply migrants? Why is the United States seemingly not willing to negotiate with the Venezuelan government over who is to be deported?
The resolution of this ongoing dispute remains uncertain.
Reporting by Vivian Sequera
Writing by Sarah Morland
Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Cynthia Osterman
