Two flights carrying Venezuelan migrants back to Venezuela from the United States will arrive late Monday, the country’s communication’s ministry said.
The flights are a major victory for the Trump administration, which made a campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented migrants. To accomplish this goal, President Trump needs Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s autocratic president, to agree to accept some of those people.
Two planes owned by the Venezuelan airline Conviasa left Fort Bliss in Texas, where migrants subject to deportation are being held, at around 10:45 a.m. They were set to arrive in Caracas at 7:15 p.m., according to Flight Aware, a flight tracking website.
Following a rupture in the relationship between the United States and Venezuela in 2019, Mr. Maduro’s government has refused to accept deported citizens, except during a brief period during the Biden administration.
The announcement about the flights follows a recent visit by a Trump adviser, Richard Grenell, to Venezuela, who returned to the United States with six Americans who had been detained by the Maduro government.
It is not clear who is on the Monday flights, and some returnees could face persecution upon return.
In a statement to the news media, the Venezuelan government said that it had been “notified by the government of the United States of America” that some of the people on the flights were part of criminal group called the Tren de Aragua.
The statement said “the aforementioned individuals will be subject to a rigorous investigation as soon as they touch Venezuelan soil and will be subject to the actions provided for in our justice system.”
Mr. Maduro is under indictment in the United States, accused by federal prosecutors of participating in a narcotrafficking conspiracy, and is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
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