The United States deported over 170 Venezuelan migrants from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to Honduras on Thursday, with plans for their subsequent transfer to Venezuela. This deportation marked a significant reduction in the number of migrants at the base.
The deportees were flown to Comayagua in Honduras and are scheduled to be sent to Venezuela on a special flight operated by the state-owned Venezuelan airline Conviasa. This deportation flight is the first from Guantanamo Bay since the Trump administration initiated the transfer of migrants there from the United States.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the transportation of 177 Venezuelan migrants from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras for handover to the Venezuelan government. The Department of Homeland Security has alleged that these migrants have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.
Earlier on Thursday, Honduras announced that it had facilitated the transfer of up to 170 Venezuelan migrants from the United States to Venezuela, although it did not confirm if the group was from Guantanamo. The transfer was at the request of the Venezuelan government, with Conviasa managing the flight and covering the costs.
Conviasa, like other state-owned Venezuelan companies, is currently under sanctions from the US Treasury. Flight tracking records show a Conviasa aircraft from Venezuela landing in Comayagua, Honduras, followed shortly by two GlobalX aircraft from Guantanamo Bay.
The issue of deporting alleged Tren de Aragua members back to Venezuela was discussed by US envoy Richard Grenell during his visit to Caracas in January. This visit marked the first high-profile visit of a US diplomat to Venezuela in years.
