The Trump administration has completed a controversial prisoner swap with Venezuela, returning around 250 deported Venezuelans in exchange for 10 American detainees.
The Trump administration has carried out a large-scale prisoner swap with Venezuela, according to CNN.
Around 250 Venezuelans who had been deported from the United States and were being held in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador were returned to their home country. In exchange, Venezuela released the remaining American hostages in its custody.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on social media that 10 Americans were now "on their way to freedom" as a result of the exchange.
In March, the administration invoked emergency authority to rapidly deport over 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador. They were later detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. The move drew backlash from immigration attorneys and families, many of whom said the individuals had no criminal record despite being labeled as gang members in court.
It is not yet clear whether the Venezuelans will remain in custody after returning to their country.
On Friday afternoon, Venezuelan officials confirmed the arrival of a flight from Texas. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said it carried an unspecified number of Venezuelans, including children. He added that more arrivals were expected later in the day.
The U.S. State Department has not issued an official comment.
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals connected to Moscow’s military and energy sectors, according to official decrees issued on Saturday.
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