CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated on Friday that none of the Venezuelans deported by the U.S. to a Salvadoran prison are affiliated with Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua criminal gang, the alleged reason for their expulsion by Washington.
Cabello, speaking on a podcast, confidently declared, “I firmly believe that not a single one of them is associated with the now-defunct Tren de Aragua organization. I have verified this information through various sources.”
U.S. President Donald Trump utilized a little-known wartime law to swiftly deport individuals identified by the White House as members of the Venezuelan gang, which the U.S. has labeled as a terrorist group. Despite a court order halting the deportations, over 200 Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador, where they are currently detained in an anti-terrorism facility, with the possibility of extension for up to a year.
While families and legal representatives of the deportees seek information and push for their return, Venezuela maintains that the Tren de Aragua gang was dismantled in 2023. Cabello dismissed claims of the group’s continued existence as false, attributing them to political opposition propaganda.
The gang, originally formed within a prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state, is accused of various criminal activities and has reportedly expanded its operations beyond Venezuela over the past decade. The Trump administration faces a deadline to provide additional details on the deportations following a judicial inquiry.
Cabello revealed that out of the 920 individuals repatriated on five flights since February, only 16 are currently involved in legal proceedings in Venezuela. Tensions persist between Caracas and Washington over deportation issues, with conflicting statements regarding the repatriation process.
In a separate development, Canada announced sanctions against eight senior officials in Venezuela, citing human rights abuses and threats to democracy. Caracas condemned the sanctions as an attempt by Canada to align itself with Washington’s agenda.
