Venezuela receives deported migrants from US

A group of no fewer than 199 Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States arrived on Monday after the two countries reached an agreement to restart flights.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello made this known on Monday.

It was gathered that a diplomatic spat last week inflamed already tense relations as the United States accused Venezuela of refusing to accept deportations flights, while Caracas in return accused Washington of blocking them.

As that unfolded, a plane-load of deported Venezuelans had arrived from Mexico, a country that has agreed to accept migrants from other countries sent by the United States.

According to Cabello, flights have been inconsistent not because of Venezuela, adding that they will depend on the United States.

The United States reportedly sent the deportees first to Honduras, where they were picked up by Venezuelan state airline Conviasa and arrived in Caracas at 1 a.m. local time.

“We expect to see a consistent flow of deportation flights to Venezuela going forward,” the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a post on X confirming the flight.

According to the White House, the spat also comes after the US President Donald Trump invoked an obscure wartime law to rapidly deport people who were members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Washington has declared a terrorist group and alien enemy.

Despite a judge quickly blocking the measure, the Trump administration deported at least 200 Venezuelans, 137 under the wartime act, to El Salvador where they are being detained in the country's massive anti-terrorism prison.

Meanwhile, Venezuela denied the migrants' involvement in the criminal group, which the government claims was eradicated.

Lawyers and family members of the migrants also denied their gang ties and said some may have been deported because of their tattoos, which they said US immigration authorities claimed imply gang ties.

Cabello said on Monday that the Venezuelans in El Salvador were being held hostage and demanded that their rights be respected.