Aircraft bringing 175 Venezuelan migrants from the US at the SimĂłn BolĂvar International Airport in MaiquetĂa, Venezuela, March 30, 2025. Photo: Orlefrank Amaya/El Universal.
On Sunday afternoon, 175 Venezuelan migrants from the US returned to the country aboard a US-flagged aircraft. They were received by Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who said that the procedure was “very tangled” and that the repatriation took place through direct communication with US authorities.
The minister emphasized that none of the repatriated individuals ever belonged to the defunct Tren de Aragua criminal gang and that only one has charges against him for being part of the gang of El CagĂłn of Trujillo state.
“The arrival of the flight was scheduled for 9:00 in the morning. The United States was resolving its internal issues, and it arrived only now, at 2:00 p.m. It was announced that 229 people would come, but only 175 arrived,” Cabello expressed after receiving the migrants on Sunday, March 30. “Last time, I said this as constructive criticism: there is great disorder in the United States’ deportation process. We take this very seriously. They also changed the departure site—a logistical entanglement because no aircraft can depart from an airport to a destination without declaring the destination. They must have a flight plan … None of this disorder happened due to us.”
He emphasized that the US narrative claiming that all the deported individuals were part of Tren de Aragua “is a lie.”
“This is a big lie they have used to stigmatize and criminalize Venezuelans,” he decried. “We have said many times: anyone who comes here with a criminal record, who has committed a crime in our homeland—even if officially claimed by other country through Interpol—we act in accordance with our law.”
Cabello added that if any Venezuelan had committed crimes in the US, they should have been tried there.
He noted that one aspect of receiving new migrants is that after they descend, they are immediately checked by relevant officials. Cabello mentioned that 11 women were among the repatriated.
Another 178 Venezuelans Deported From US Arrive in Venezuela
When asked about the use of a US aircraft to transport Venezuelans, Cabello responded that there was no problem with it. “They can travel here just as we have gone to the US. That aircraft lands in Venezuela under Venezuelan laws and norms. We receive the people. We cover the expenses when flights are via Conviasa,” he explained.
He clarified that the aircraft departed with an overflight permit for Venezuelan airspace.
He also highlighted President Nicolás Maduro’s commitment to bringing back migrants. “We do not care about the threats, sanctions or any additional issues that we may have with the US,” he said. “But this disorder originates in the US. These things are not attributable to us. The only way we can receive people from the US is if the US authorities coordinate the flights with US, whether with our planes or theirs.”
He noted that with recent Return to the Homeland flights, 1,175 Venezuelans have been repatriated from the US during February-March. He reiterated that repatriated individuals without pending legal matters are being taken to their homes after medical, psychological, and judicial review procedures.
(Ăšltimas Noticias) by Aura Torrealba
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
