On Sunday, the Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. use of a seldom-invoked wartime law, which was swiftly halted by a U.S. judge, to deport over 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador.
In a statement, the Venezuelan government expressed its “profound indignation” at what it described as the illegal application of an outdated law that violates human rights, particularly concerning the potential deportation of 14-year-old children.
The presidential office of El Salvador did not respond immediately to a request for comment from Reuters, and it remains unclear what specific charges the alleged gang members face in El Salvador or if minors are included in the group.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced on X early Sunday that the first 238 alleged members of Tren de Aragua had been received and were promptly transferred to a terrorism detention facility for a one-year period, which may be extended.
This announcement followed a report by the Associated Press, which cited an internal memo indicating that the United States would provide El Salvador with $6 million for this arrangement.
Bukele remarked in his post that while the U.S. would pay a minimal amount for the deportees, the cost to El Salvador would be significantly higher, noting that the country had also sent 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13.
Venezuela’s government urged the international community, particularly the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), to take action against what it termed a perilous precedent for the entire region.
