More than 250 Venezuelans detained under controversial U.S. immigration policies were released from El Salvador’s maximum-security CECOT prison and repatriated on Friday, following a high-profile prisoner swap between Washington and Caracas.
The 252 men, accused without evidence of gang affiliations, were abruptly deported to Venezuela months after being swept up in a mass immigration crackdown ordered by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Their release came in exchange for the freedom of 10 Americans and U.S. residents held in Venezuela, along with an undisclosed number of political prisoners.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed the release, writing on social media: “Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country.”
The detainees had been sent to the notorious CECOT “anti-terror” facility in March, where they were shackled, had their heads shaved, and were paraded before cameras in what rights groups condemned as a dehumanising display. The prison, built to house dangerous gang members, became the center of criticism after it was used to hold migrants without trial or formal charges.
Rights organisations say the majority of those detained had no criminal background. Exiled Salvadoran advocacy group Cristosal confirmed only seven of the 252 Venezuelans had prior convictions.
In Venezuela, the return of the detainees sparked emotional reunions. Families, many of whom had received no word from their loved ones in months, greeted them tearfully at an airport outside Caracas.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro welcomed the development, thanking Trump for “rectifying this totally irregular situation.”
Meanwhile, U.S. citizens and residents released from Venezuelan custody also began returning home. Among them was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter, detained since January after allegedly being “kidnapped” by border guards during a holiday in Colombia. His family expressed relief at his return. “We cannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from the ordeal,” said his sister, Sophie Hunter, in a statement released by the NGO Global Reach.
Another repatriation flight from Houston brought back 244 Venezuelan migrants and seven children. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the children had been “rescued” after their parents were deported, leaving them stranded in the United States. Caracas says 30 Venezuelan children remain in U.S. custody.
The release marks a rare moment of cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela amid wider tensions. It also casts a spotlight on the broader migrant crackdown being pursued by the Trump administration, which has resulted in over 8,200 Venezuelans being deported from the U.S. and Mexico since February—roughly 1,000 of them children.
The CECOT detentions have drawn condemnation from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who described the arrests as a violation of international human rights norms. The detainees were denied phone calls, legal representation, or proof-of-life assurances, leading to mounting concern from families and rights groups.
While the latest swap brings relief to hundreds, human rights organisations continue to press both governments for greater transparency and accountability in handling migrant detainees.
