The United States deported 177 migrants from its military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Venezuela on Thursday, marking a rare moment of cooperation between the long-feuding governments of Washington and Caracas.
Officials from both countries confirmed that the deportees were first flown to Honduras, where they were transferred to a Venezuelan government flight operated by Conviasa. The aircraft arrived at Maiquetia International Airport late Thursday, where Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello welcomed the returnees.
“Welcome to the homeland,” Cabello told the all-male group, confirming that another deportation flight was expected at the end of the week.
This repatriation would have been unlikely just weeks ago, given the strained US-Venezuela relations. However, since President Donald Trump took office last month, the White House has prioritized immigration cooperation, leading to a thaw in diplomatic tensions.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said the handover was made at the “direct request” of his government to Trump’s administration. Meanwhile, US envoy Richard Grenell met with Maduro on January 31, securing the release of six US prisoners. Shortly after, Trump announced Venezuela’s agreement to accept deported migrants.
The Venezuelan government stated that it had “requested the repatriation of a group of compatriots who were unjustly taken to the Guantanamo naval base,” adding that the request had been accepted and facilitated through Honduras.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that it had transported “177 Venezuelan illegal aliens from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras today for pickup by the Venezuelan government.”
Caracas severed ties with Washington in 2019 after the United States recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s “interim president” following contested elections. In October 2023, Maduro briefly allowed US deportation flights before suspending the agreement four months later.
Human rights groups in the United States have challenged the Trump administration’s use of Guantanamo as a holding site for undocumented migrants. Reports suggest that the base was prepared to receive up to 30,000 migrants under Trump’s directives.
In a separate deportation effort, the US sent 135 migrants of various nationalities—including individuals from China, Russia, Afghanistan, Ghana, and Vietnam—to Costa Rica on Thursday, where they await repatriation to their home countries.
