El Salvador and US negotiate prisoner swap with Venezuela

July 18, 2025

El Salvador has repatriated approximately 250 detained Venezuelans to their home country in exchange for the release of 10 US nationals held in Venezuela, as announced by both the US and El Salvador governments. The Venezuelans being returned were migrants originally deported from the US and held in El Salvador's Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) prison, with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele claiming they were members of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. This prisoner exchange, completed on Friday, means there are currently no US nationals being held by Nicolas Maduro's government in Venezuela.

Who is affected

250 Venezuelan nationals who were detained in El Salvador
10 US nationals who were held in Venezuela (including former Navy Seal Wilbert Joseph Castaneda)
Families of the detained Venezuelans (such as Gertrudis, mother of Oscar González Pineda)
Venezuelan political prisoners mentioned as part of the exchange
The governments of the US, El Salvador, and Venezuela

What action is being taken

El Salvador is repatriating approximately 250 detained Venezuelans to Venezuela
Venezuela is releasing 10 US nationals who were being held by the Maduro government
The US government is expressing gratitude to El Salvador's President Bukele for facilitating the exchange
The Trump administration is actively working on the release of "dozens" of political prisoners still held by the Maduro government

Why it matters

This exchange means no US nationals remain detained by Venezuela's government
The deal demonstrates the strengthened relationship between Bukele and Trump
It addresses humanitarian concerns for both the Venezuelan detainees and US nationals
The exchange occurred despite the US having no official diplomatic relations with Venezuela
Some families of Venezuelan deportees have denied gang connections that were claimed by authorities
The exchange highlights the controversial use of El Salvador's Cecot prison for holding migrants deported from the US

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC