US Deports Hundreds of Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members Despite Court Order

[Social Media]

 

More than 200 alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang have been deported from the United States to a high-security prison in El Salvador, despite a federal judge’s order attempting to block their removal. The deportation flights had already left US airspace before the order took effect.  

 

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed the arrival of 238 Tren de Aragua members along with 23 alleged members of the MS-13 gang on Sunday morning. He shared the news on social media, mocking the legal challenge to the deportations. "Oopsie... Too late," Bukele posted, appearing to taunt the judge’s ruling.  

 

Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).

Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).

The United States will pay a very low fee for them,… pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpD6

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025

 

The detainees were immediately transferred to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), a massive prison known for its strict security measures. Bukele stated that they would remain there for at least a year, with the possibility of extending their detention.  

 

The White House also reacted, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt posting on X that "these heinous monsters were extracted and removed to El Salvador where they will no longer be able to pose any threat to the American People." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Bukele, calling him "the strongest security leader in our region."  

 

The deportations followed an executive action by President Trump, who declared that Tren de Aragua was "conducting irregular warfare" against the United States. Using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, Trump authorized the removal of its members.  

 

However, on Saturday evening, US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, DC, issued a 14-day halt on deportations covered under Trump’s proclamation. When informed that some flights had already taken off, Boasberg verbally ordered them to return, but his written ruling did not explicitly include that directive. The official notice appeared in court records at 19:25 EDT on Saturday (00:25 GMT on Sunday), though it remains unclear exactly when the planes left US airspace.  

 

A senior Trump administration official later stated that legal advisors determined the judge’s ruling was not applicable because the flights had already reached international waters. "They were already outside of US airspace," the official told Axios. "We believe the order is not applicable."  

The US Department of Justice has since appealed Boasberg’s ruling, according to CBS News. Meanwhile, the BBC has reached out to the department for further comment.  

 

This latest deportation underscores the growing diplomatic relationship between the US and El Salvador. In February, Rubio made El Salvador one of his first visits after becoming Secretary of State, during which Bukele initially offered to take in US deportees. The move was seen as part of a broader effort to justify the cost of the massive Cecot prison facility.  

 

Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown has intensified, with these deportations forming part of his broader push to remove undocumented immigrants. In January, he signed an executive order designating Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations. His campaign promise to launch the largest deportation operation in US history was a key part of his re-election platform, and this latest move signals his administration’s commitment to fulfilling that pledge.  

 

 

Based on a report by BBC  2025-03-17

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Good news. They are heading to the right place for such heinous criminals, and hopefully there till they die of old age.

 

I'm amazed that anyone would actually want them to stay in the US.

[Woke to Sounds]

Good to see the USA is taking no crap from anyone.

 

Now if only Canada would stop coddling its criminals.

[novacova]

33 minutes ago, Social Media said:

"They were already outside of US airspace,"

 

34 minutes ago, Social Media said:

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed the arrival of 238 Tren de Aragua members along with 23 alleged members of the MS-13 gang on Sunday morning. He shared the news on social media, mocking the legal challenge to the deportations. "Oopsie... Too late," Bukele posted, appearing to taunt the judge’s ruling.

5-5…

Now they can send them there covertly the same way the despicable filthy Biden&Co brought many in.