Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, is set to meet with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in the country on Friday. The discussion is expected to focus on deportation flights, among other topics.
President Trump has made mass deportations a priority, but Maduro has been reluctant to accept Venezuelan nationals back into the country. This has led to strained relations between the US and Venezuela, with talks of potential sanctions to pressure Maduro on the issue.
Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized by the US as Venezuela’s president-elect, has cautioned against striking a deal with Maduro on deportation flights. He has proposed finding a third country to send deportees to instead.
In 2019, the Trump administration initiated a “maximum pressure” strategy to remove Maduro from power and garnered support from over fifty countries to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state. This move has been a point of contention for Maduro in his speeches to foreign audiences.
President Trump has also targeted the Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, by recommending the State Department to designate it as a foreign terrorist organization. This action was part of a series of immigration executive orders issued at the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Recently, federal agents arrested a high-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua gang in New York City, following the immigration crackdown. Additionally, two gang members were apprehended in Atlanta for being illegally present in the US.
