Venezuela has agreed to take back all of its nationals who entered the U.S. illegally, including members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, as part of broader diplomatic efforts to address immigration. The agreement follows successful negotiations by Trump envoy Richard Grenell with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which also secured the release of six American hostages from Venezuelan prisons.
We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2025
They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him. pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv
Venezuela Providing Transportation for Deportations
As part of the deal, Venezuela is not only accepting deported nationals but is also supplying the transportation for their return. This development stems from the same diplomatic mission in which Grenell helped secure the release of Americans detained in the South American country.
“It is so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home, and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S.” President Donald Trump posted on social media. He added that the Maduro government also agreed to take back members of Tren de Aragua.
It is so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua. Venezuela has further agreed to…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2025
The Wall Street Journal has additional details:
The agreement will help Trump deliver on a campaign promise to deport millions of immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization. Accepting deportees is a reversal for Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro who has long refused to allow deportation planes from the U.S., where more than 600,000 Venezuelans had migrated in recent years and received special protected status allowing them to work temporarily.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration revoked a Biden-era decision that extended this status, meaning Venezuelans could be eligible for deportation as soon as April.
No financial or other concessions were promised to Maduro, apart from the prospect of improving the relationship with the U.S., Grenell said.
“The only award for Maduro was my physical presence, the first senior U.S. official to visit the country in years,” he said. “It was a big gift to him to have a visit by an envoy of President Trump.”
Tren de Aragua’s Criminal Reach Expands into the U.S.
Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization led by Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” originated in Venezuela but has since expanded across Latin America and into the United States, largely due to mass migration from the region.
The gang is involved in arms trafficking, drug smuggling, bribery, illegal mining, kidnappings-for-ransom and money laundering, making it one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises operating in the Western Hemisphere.
On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The move is part of a larger strategy to combat international cartels and criminal networks that pose a direct threat to U.S. security.
U.S. Deportation Policy Ramps Up Under Trump
The latest agreement aligns with the administration’s broader immigration policies aimed at deporting illegal migrants and curbing unauthorized entries into the country.
Since taking office, the second Trump administration has conducted multiple deportation flights to countries including Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador.
Criminal Migrants to Be Deported to Guantanamo Bay
In addition to repatriation efforts, the administration is preparing to deport high-priority criminal migrants to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first flights for these deportations are scheduled to begin this weekend.
Trump is preparing to send as many as 30,000 criminal migrants to Guantanamo Bay, declaring that they are “so bad” that he doesn’t trust their home countries from being able to keep them from reentering the U.S.
“It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump said of the facility, which has long been at the center of legal, political and international debates.
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Awesome! About dang time!
Parachutes for the ones that want to go back.
No parachutes for the ones that DO NOT want to go back.
Now………..Jump!