Recently, nearly 200 Venezuelan immigrants were returned to their home country after being detained at Guantanamo Bay, marking a significant development in U.S. deportation efforts. The deportations involved a stopover in Honduras, where 177 Venezuelans exited a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement flight and boarded a Venezuelan plane bound for Caracas.
The government of President Nicolás Maduro stated that it had requested the repatriation of a group of Venezuelans who were taken to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. This request was accepted, and an aircraft from the state-owned airline Conviasa transported the migrants from Honduras. ICE confirmed the transfer of 177 Venezuelan individuals.
The Trump administration has been prioritizing the deportation of individuals who have exhausted all legal avenues to remain in the U.S. As of November 24, nearly 1.5 million people had final removal orders, including over 22,000 Venezuelans.
Recent coordination between the U.S. and Venezuela has seen two flights carrying 190 immigrants directly from the U.S. to Venezuela, potentially paving the way for more regular exchanges between the two countries.
Guantanamo Bay, known for housing suspects post-9/11 attacks, has also been used to hold individuals attempting to reach the U.S. illegally by boat. The recent detainees at Guantanamo are Venezuelans with final deportation orders.
Efforts to move immigrants in and out of Guantanamo Bay have faced criticism for limited access to legal counsel and allegations of mistreatment. A lawsuit on behalf of three immigrants detained at Guantanamo seeks improved access to legal representation and advance notice before transfers or removals.
The U.S. government has alleged that the transferred Venezuelan immigrants are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Maduro's government has emphasized its commitment to fighting terrorism and criminal organizations while denouncing attempts to criminalize the nation and its citizens.
Authorities in various countries have reported arrests of Tren de Aragua members, despite conflicting claims about the organization's status. Relatives of immigrants taken to Guantanamo Bay and civil rights advocates have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the identities of those transferred.
