A dramatic international prisoner exchange has unfolded, with El Salvador playing a key role in facilitating a high-stakes deal between the United States and Venezuela. The swap saw the return of 10 Americans held in Venezuela and over 250 Venezuelan nationals previously deported from the U.S. and detained in El Salvador’s high-security prison.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele shared a video on social media confirming the exchange, which featured Venezuelan migrants boarding planes back to Caracas while the American detainees were en route to El Salvador before continuing their journey to the United States.
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The Venezuelans involved in the swap were among over 200 individuals deported from the U.S. earlier this year under the revived 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
The Trump administration used the law to swiftly expel alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang — a group accused of criminal activity in Latin America — bypassing standard immigration procedures. Their deportation sparked sharp backlash from human rights organizations, who condemned the move as a violation of due process and international law.
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After arriving in El Salvador in March, the Venezuelans were held in the country’s notorious CECOT maximum-security prison — a facility known for its harsh conditions and zero-tolerance approach to gang violence.
On Friday, Venezuela’s government confirmed that 252 of its nationals had been released and flown home in two planes that landed just outside Caracas. President Nicolás Maduro welcomed their return and praised what he described as a diplomatic victory.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the release of the 10 American citizens detained in Venezuela and thanked President Bukele for mediating the agreement. The exchange, though delicate and politically complex, marks a rare moment of cooperation between the three nations at a time when diplomatic relations remain strained.
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