Venezuelan Gang Deported

On March 16, 2025, the U.S. deported over 200 individuals, mostly alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members, to El Salvador, where they were sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele reported that 238 Tren de Aragua members and 23 MS-13 members arrived that morning, transported on flights from the U.S., including one from Harlingen, Texas. The Trump administration, using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, facilitated the operation and is paying El Salvador $6 million to house around 300 inmates for a year. The deportees were shackled, escorted by armed forces, and processed into CECOT, known for its harsh conditions. A U.S. judge issued a restraining order late on March 15 to halt the deportations, but the flights had already landed, prompting Bukele to mock the ruling online. The U.S. claims the action was lawful, while critics highlight due process and human rights concerns.

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References:

Official Statements from Nayib Bukele: President Bukele posted about the event on X, stating that 238 Tren de Aragua members and 23 MS-13 members arrived in El Salvador on March 16, 2025, and were taken to CECOT. His posts included video footage of the deportees being processed. He also commented on the U.S. court ruling with “Oopsie… Too late” on the same platform.

U.S. Government Statements: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the deportations in a press briefing, defending their legality under the Alien Enemies Act and asserting that federal courts lack jurisdiction over such foreign policy actions. This was reported widely on March 16 and 17, 2025.

Court Documents and Legal Reporting: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s temporary restraining order was issued on March 15, 2025, initially for five Venezuelan men, then expanded to all affected deportees. Details of the ruling and its timing (formalized around 7:25 PM EDT) come from court filings and coverage by legal analysts. The American Civil Liberties Union’s involvement and the Justice Department’s appeal were also noted in real-time reporting.

Flight Tracking Data: The specific flight (Global Crossing Airlines, tail number N837VA) departing Harlingen Airport, Texas, on March 15 afternoon and landing in San Salvador late that night was tracked and reported via open-source flight data platforms like FlightAware, corroborated by Salvadoran government footage.

News Reports:
Outlets like Reuters and AP provided details on the deportation numbers (ranging from 238 to over 250), the $6 million payment from the U.S. to El Salvador, and the use of CECOT.

The Miami Herald and Bloomberg covered the logistical aspects, including the shackling of deportees and their transfer to buses.

Human rights critiques of CECOT’s conditions (e.g., windowless cells, no visitation) stem from prior reporting by Amnesty International and local Salvadoran NGOs, updated with this event.