Chicago – July 18, 2025
Venezuela released 10 Americans who had been in jail on Friday. This happened as part of a deal where Venezuela got a group of migrants who had been sent back to El Salvador by the United States months earlier, under former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
This deal involved three countries: Venezuela, the United States, and El Salvador. It is seen as a success for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who gained the release of the migrants, and also helped President Trump bring home Americans held in foreign jails. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele played an important role in the deal, as he suggested the swap months ago.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed thanks to Bukele, calling the release a victory for American citizens. Bukele confirmed that El Salvador had handed over all Venezuelan nationals it was holding.
A key part of the agreement was the release of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants from El Salvador’s prison. This arrangement also included a $6 million payment from the U.S. to El Salvador for taking care of the migrants.
