The United States has resumed deportation flights to Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to curb immigration. On Monday, two Venezuelan planes, carrying approximately 190 people, departed from a U.S. Army base in El Paso, Texas, headed for Venezuela.
This marks the resumption of deportations, which have been largely paused for years except for a brief period in October 2023 under the Biden administration. The economic collapse and political instability under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime have prompted nearly eight million Venezuelans to leave the country between 2014 and 2024. From October 2023 to September 2024, Venezuelans were among the largest groups encountered at the U.S. southern border, second only to Mexicans, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
The resumption of these flights follows a diplomatic visit by Trump’s Special Envoy Richard Grenell to Caracas, where he met with President Maduro. During the visit, six Americans were released from Venezuelan custody. Grenell later shared a photo of the migrants boarding one of the Conviasa flights, thanking Trump for the deportation efforts. On social media, he wrote, “Two planes of illegal immigrants left El Paso today headed to Venezuela — paid for by the Venezuelans.”
Venezuelan state media also reported the arrival of the deportation flights. In response, Maduro stated, “This is the world we want, a world of peace, understanding, dialogue and cooperation.” The Venezuelan government previously indicated its interest in repatriating many of its citizens who have left the country in recent years.
As part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, deportation flights have also begun transporting immigrants to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. However, a federal judge in New Mexico blocked the transfer of three Venezuelan men to the base on Sunday. Their lawyers argued that the men were being targeted based on alleged connections to the Tren de Aragua gang, a claim they dispute.
