Two planes carrying Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States arrived in Venezuela on February 10. These are the first deportations since a January agreement between the U.S. administration and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The flights, operated by Venezuelan airline Conviasa, are part of a plan to repatriate migrants who allegedly fled Venezuela due to economic sanctions and psychological campaigns. Some individuals on the flight are suspected of involvement with the Tren de Aragua gang and will be investigated.
Richard Grenell, a U.S. envoy, met with Maduro in Caracas on January 31 to discuss migration and sanctions. The Trump administration aims to deport Tren de Aragua members from the U.S. Approximately 348,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. could lose deportation protection in April.
Over 7 million Venezuelan migrants have left the country due to economic and social collapse, which the government attributes to U.S. sanctions. Maduro and allies face U.S. indictments on drug trafficking charges, and his 2023 re-election is disputed.