VENEZUELA RELEASES JAILED AMERICANS IN MIGRANT SWAP DEAL WITH EL SALVADOR
In a rare and complex diplomatic arrangement, Venezuela has released 10 American citizens previously imprisoned in the country, as part of a migrant swap deal involving El Salvador. The agreement, which unfolded on July 18, 2025, also included the return of over 250 Venezuelan nationals who had been detained in El Salvador following controversial U.S. deportations earlier this year.
The deal was quietly brokered over several weeks with the participation of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and U.S. officials under the Trump administration. It marks a significant moment in regional diplomacy, involving humanitarian concerns, immigration policies, and longstanding tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.
The American Detainees
The 10 released Americans had been held in Venezuela for various reasons, ranging from alleged espionage and political offenses to border violations. Many of them were considered by human rights groups to be wrongfully detained. Among them was Lucas Hunter, a civilian aid worker arrested near the Colombia–Venezuela border, and Wilbert Casteneda, a U.S. Navy veteran. Their families had long pleaded for their release, accusing the Venezuelan government of using them as political bargaining chips.
These individuals were flown out of Caracas to San Salvador, where they were transferred into U.S. custody and then repatriated home. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the deal and thanked El Salvador for facilitating the exchange, saying it marked “a breakthrough in bringing our citizens home.”
Venezuelan Migrants Held in El Salvador
The Venezuelan nationals involved in the exchange were deported from the U.S. earlier in 2025 under the Alien Enemies Act, a centuries-old statute invoked by the Trump administration to justify the removal of alleged foreign gang members. These deportees, most of whom had entered the U.S. without documentation, were accused—often without trial—of affiliations with Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization. Many advocates and lawyers argued that there was insufficient evidence behind these claims and that the deportations violated due process.
El Salvador agreed to house the migrants in its high-security CECOT prison, which had come under international scrutiny for harsh conditions and alleged human rights abuses. The detention of these migrants was widely criticized, especially given reports of overcrowding, torture, and lack of legal recourse. As part of the deal, they were returned to Venezuela aboard military aircraft in exchange for the American prisoners.
Political and Human Rights Reactions
The deal sparked mixed reactions. Supporters saw it as a diplomatic success that resulted in the release of innocent Americans. Critics, however, raised concerns about the use of migrants as geopolitical leverage and questioned the legality and morality of detaining individuals based on unproven affiliations. Human rights organizations urged greater transparency in such exchanges and called for international oversight of how prisoners and deportees are handled.