In an unexpected twist, the United States, Venezuela, and El Salvador executed a large prisoner swap that involved over 250 people. It is rare for countries to work together in an international deal like this; however, the deal freed 10 Americans who were imprisoned in Venezuela, while over 250 Venezuelan migrants who had been deported by the US were returned to Venezuela via El Salvador.
BREAKING 🇺🇸🦅 10 Americans are on their way to freedom in a large-scale prisoner swap wherein approximately 250 Venezuelans deported from the U.S.—who were detained in an El Salvador prison—were sent home country in exchange for the American hostages in Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/Be0vWDOHTt
— Live From America TV (@LFATVUS) July 18, 2025
How This Swap Came to Be
In March 2025, under Donald Trump’s administration, the US decided to deport Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under their Alien Enemies Act that was enacted 200 years earlier, asserting that they were gang members from Tren de Aragua. Many of those migrants did not receive a trial, nor did they have an opportunity to defend themselves against the asylum claims. They were held in CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre, a notoriously brutal facility. After several weeks of quiet diplomatic talks, the three countries arranged for the following deal and exchange of people. The US released the 10 Americans who were illegally held in Venezuela, including a former Navy SEAL and a few other wrongfully detained Americans.
The White House announced that 10 Americans detained in Venezuela are on their way home after a large scale swap for over 250 Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration and sent to El Salvador’s notorious mega prison. @RachelVScott reports. https://t.co/h2UZCRMhLP pic.twitter.com/EbCuBpWizX
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 18, 2025
According to Reuters, “The swap is one of the most significant agreements between the US and Venezuela in years, despite ongoing political tensions.”
- El Salvador sent them back home, to Venezuela, completing the multi-country process.
- Human Costs, Legal Issues
- This agreement brought immediate backlash:
- Families were reunited with emotional scenes at border airports in both countries.
- Concerns around human rights arose: poor prison treatment, a lack of due process, and forcing asylum seekers back into scenes of danger.
The Venezuelan government claims a political win and argues that it also released political prisoners.
US legal teams continue to push cases for those who were deported in the face of the court’s instructions.
Human rights organisations want additional monitoring and transparency around any future actions.
While this prisoner exchange may have given some solace to a great many families, it still raises profound and fundamental questions about justice, human rights, and political power. As we come to learn more about the circumstances surrounding this exchange and the broader implications of handling sensitive cases like this, the world will be watching how each of the three engaged countries addresses cases like this in the future.
