Venezuelan migrants falsely labeled as Tren de Aragua gang members by the US government are being treated like terrorists in Salvadoran prisons. Photo: Salvadoran President Press Office.
Growing complaints challenge US and Salvadoran authorities’ claims that individuals deported to El Salvador’s maximum-security prisons belong to the Tren de Aragua (Aragua Train) criminal gang. Relatives have flooded social media with emotional videos asserting that their deported family members—including sons, husbands, and cousins—do not have any gang affiliations.
Key claims
• Many detainees allegedly lack criminal records.
• US authorities reportedly failed to conduct proper investigations.
• Families accuse opposition figure María Corina Machado of complicity. “She knows very well what is going on,” said one witness. “Investigate—not all of them are from the Aragua Train.”
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Telemundo reports identified several detainees as residents of Maracaibo, Zulia State. One mother pleaded: “My son left [Venezuela] out of necessity, seeking a better future for his children. He is not a criminal—he has no criminal record.”
Controversial deportations proceed despite court order
The transfers occurred despite a ban on deportations by US Federal Judge James Boasberg. On Sunday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced via social media: “Today, 238 alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua arrived. They’ve been transferred to the Terrorist Detention Center (CECOT) for one year (renewable).”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s controversial decision on social media: “El Salvador has committed to keeping them in its excellent prisons at a fair price, saving taxpayers money. These enemy aliens don’t belong here.”
Venezuela Condemns Washington’s Criminalization of Venezuelan Migrants
Financial and diplomatic fallout
The US will pay El Salvador US $6 million annually for detainee housing.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry condemned the actions, stating: “We categorically reject the application of the ‘Foreign Enemies’ Act, violating human rights and international law. We denounce the persecution of Venezuelans in the US—expropriating property and assets and targeting them in workplaces, schools, and public spaces.”
(RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
