The United States flew more than 200 immigrants, alleged members of the Venecuela gang, to be closed in El Salvador, said President Nayib Bukela, after his American colleague Donald Trump controversially called for the legislation of the war to throw them out.
The deportations were held on Sunday despite the US federal judge who approved the temporary suspension of the expulsion order, obviously that the aircraft had already headed to El Salvador.
In a sharp reproach on Sunday, Venezuela’s government said Trump “criminalized” the Venezuelan migrants, who were said to be “in their vast majority … dignified and honest” workers, not terrorists. He added that the action violated both US and international laws.
“Oopsie … too late,” Bukela posted on social media in response to an article on the judge’s verdict, adding an emoji with a cry-S.
Trump’s administration said he regretted a court order.
The spokeswoman for the Karolina Leavitt White House defended the deportations by saying that Trump “used his fundamental power as president and chief commander to defend the American people from an emergency threat.”
Bukele announced the action on Sunday on X, saying: “Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuela criminal organization, a moment de Aragua, arrived in our country.”
Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization arrived in our country, a moment of de Aragua. They were immediately transferred to Cecot, the Center for Prison of Terrorism, for a period of one year (renewable).
The United States will pay them a very low fee, … pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpd6
– Nayib Bukele (@Nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
He shared a video of several men in handcuffs and shackles transferred from the plane in a very guarded convoy, while the Presidency divided a series of photos depicting the heads of the captives and then handing over the models behind their back, upon arrival in El Salvador.
Bukele said that now she would “pay a very low fee” for the custody of El Salvador over men, but neither did he nor US officials cited the amount.
Trump on Friday signed an order called on the alienal enemies of 1798, but was publicly published until Saturday.
The controversial war installation administration allows the US president to detaine or deport the citizens of the enemy nation, and previously called it three times – during the main international conflicts, including World War I and II.
Bukele at a meeting last month with US Secretary of State Marc Rubio offered to accommodate prisoners in his country in prisoners from the US, including members of the de Aragua and Salvador’s MS-13 Band.
Mega-jail with windowless cells
Iron-Fist Bukele is extremely popular in its Latin American country for successfully suppressing violent gangs, but faced criticism of human rights groups.
His offer to take the side of the convict was shared by Salvadorans at the fee, who are afraid that he could restore the fight against violent crime.
Leavitt told the Fox News Futures Program that Trump “works within the borders of the law”.
Bukele said that alleged gang members were sent to the Center for Limiting Maximum Security Terrorism (Cecot), a mega prison on the edge of the jungle (47 miles) southeast of San Salvador with a capacity of 40,000 prisoners.
The prisoners are packed in windless cells, sleeping on metal beds without mattresses and are forbidden to visitors.
Rubio said in a statement on Sunday that as part of the transmission of migrants Venezuela, they now deported the “top leaders of” MS-13, “plus 21 than the most up-to-date to face justice in their homeland.”
War legislation
According to his order, Trump claimed that the moment de Aragua “led an irregular war against the territory of the United States directly and in the direction, disguised or otherwise, the Maduro regime.”
The statement gives Trump’s State Attorney Pam Bondi for 60 days to redeem that all members of the gang de Aragua “are subject to direct arrests, detention and removal.”
The command will be applied to all Venezuelan members of the duration of de Aragua who are over 14 years and are not naturalized US nationals or legal permanent residents.
The American Federation of Civil Freedom (ACLU) and the Allied Group, Democracy forward, requested from the US District Court in Washington to prohibit deportations – claiming that the Law of 1798 was not intended to be used at rest.
Judge James Boasberg on Saturday issued a 14-day stop of any deportation according to the new order.
Bondi scored a verdict, saying in a statement that he “puts the public and implementing the law in danger.”
Prison El Salvador, which sent alleged gang members, were already located about 15,000 MS-13 members and Salvadoran Barrio 18 gangs.
They rounded up under an extraordinary situation that Bukela imposed after an increase in gang violence in 2022.
