Venezuela Accepts Flight Carrying Deportees From U.S. for First Time in Weeks
The Trump administration sent a flight carrying deportees from the United States to Venezuela on Sunday, the first such flight since the Venezuelan government reached an agreement with the Trump administration on Saturday to resume accepting them.Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s interior minister, invited journalists to an airport near Caracas, the capital, on Sunday at 8 p.m.for the arrival of the flight, which the government said was part of what it is calling the Return to the Homeland.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S.Immigration and Customs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Trump administration has made it a priority to get the Venezuelan government to agree to accept flights carrying people deported from the United States.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have entered the country amid a historic surge in migration, and during his campaign, President Trump vowed to carry out mass deportations and to send home migrants.However, because the United States has limited diplomatic relations with the autocratic regime of Nicolás Maduro, the U.S.government has not been able to send regular deportation flights to Venezuela.
After briefly agreeing to accept flights after Mr.Trump took office, Mr.
Maduro ceased doing so weeks ago, after the Trump administration revoked a Biden-era policy that had allowed more oil to be produced in Venezuela and exported.Mr.Maduro then came under intense pressure from the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that Venezuela would face new, “severe and escalating” sanctions if it refused to accept its repatriated citizens.This weekend, it announced it would take flights again beginning on Sunday.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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