By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Scoopico
  • Home
  • U.S.
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • True Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Life
  • Money
  • Tech
  • Travel
Reading: 10 Individuals freed in prisoner swap between U.S., El Salvador and Venezuela
Share
Font ResizerAa
ScoopicoScoopico
Search

Search

  • Home
  • U.S.
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • True Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Life
  • Money
  • Tech
  • Travel

Latest Stories

Liberia: Tons of rally in Monrovia to protest in opposition to Joseph Boakai’s authorities
Liberia: Tons of rally in Monrovia to protest in opposition to Joseph Boakai’s authorities
Keyshawn breaks down after surprising jail reunion together with his former worker
Keyshawn breaks down after surprising jail reunion together with his former worker
Einstein Confirmed That Time Is Relative. However … Why Is It?
Einstein Confirmed That Time Is Relative. However … Why Is It?
Mark Epstein desires Steve Bannon’s 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother
Mark Epstein desires Steve Bannon’s 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother
DOJ strikes to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts, citing public curiosity
DOJ strikes to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts, citing public curiosity
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
2025 Copyright © Scoopico. All rights reserved
10 Individuals freed in prisoner swap between U.S., El Salvador and Venezuela
News

10 Individuals freed in prisoner swap between U.S., El Salvador and Venezuela

Scoopico
Last updated: July 18, 2025 11:00 pm
Scoopico
Published: July 18, 2025
Share
SHARE


Contents
Officers describe “down-to-the-wire” dealExtra from CBS Information

Washington — Ten Individuals are en path to the U.S. after a prisoner swap involving the U.S., El Salvador and Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned Friday.

The Individuals had been free of Venezuela in alternate for El Salvador returning 252 Venezuelans who had been deported from the U.S. to a infamous Salvadoran jail earlier this 12 months, senior administration officers mentioned, alleging the launched Venezuelans had been members of the gang Tren de Aragua.

A former Navy SEAL, Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, is among the many Individuals launched, three sources instructed CBS Information. Castaneda was detained in Venezuela final 12 months whereas on private journey. 

“We now have prayed for today for nearly a 12 months. My brother is an harmless man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime,” Castaneda’s household mentioned in an announcement. The household mentioned he had suffered a number of traumatic mind accidents throughout his 18 years within the Navy that “impaired his judgment and danger mitigation” and “led him to make a foul determination to journey to Venezuela.”

The U.S. has warned Individuals towards touring to Venezuela or close to its borders, citing the dangers of wrongful detention.

“Till right now, extra Individuals had been wrongfully held in Venezuela than another nation on the planet,” Rubio mentioned in an announcement that credited “President Trump’s management and dedication to the American folks.” 

“Each wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and again in our homeland,” Rubio added.

The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela posted a photograph of the freed Individuals with U.S. diplomat John McNamara.

Ten Individuals who had been free of Venezuela in a prisoner swap on Friday, July 18, 2025.

U.S. Embassy in Venezuela


As a part of the deal, the Venezuelan authorities additionally launched dozens of people that had been described as Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees, a senior administration official mentioned.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that his nation “handed over all of the Venezuelan nationals detained in our nation, accused of being a part of the prison group Tren de Aragua,” in alternate for “a substantial variety of Venezuelan political prisoners … in addition to all of the Americans it was holding as hostages.”

The Trump administration deported greater than 200 male Venezuelan residents to El Salvador in March, accusing them of being a part of the transnational gang Tren De Aragua. Mr. Trump invoked an 18th-century wartime regulation, the Alien Enemies Act, to order officers to rapidly deport lots of the Venezuelan migrants, deeming them a menace to the U.S. The Salvadoran authorities has held lots of the detainees in a supermax jail referred to as the Terrorism Confinement Middle, or CECOT.

In Might, the Supreme Court docket prolonged a pause on deportations of Venezuelan migrants detained in northern Texas whereas they problem their removals below the wartime regulation.

A few of the households of the Venezuelan deportees have denied that they’ve gang connections, and a “60 Minutes” investigation in April discovered that many of the detainees didn’t have prison convictions.

The Venezuelan authorities confirmed Friday’s swap, saying in an announcement it “has achieved the discharge of the 252 Venezuelan residents who remained kidnapped and subjected to compelled disappearance in a focus camp, often known as CECOT, within the Republic of El Salvador.”

Officers describe “down-to-the-wire” deal

A senior administration official mentioned the cope with El Salvador and Venezuela was “basically all the way down to the wire.” The flight carrying the detainees took off from Venezuela at round 3:40 p.m. ET and left Venezuelan airspace at round 3:55 p.m. The official alleged the Venezuelan authorities took “one final stand” by briefly delaying Friday’s swap as a “energy flex.”

The prisoner swap was organized as Venezuela faces intense U.S. sanctions that restrict the nation’s once-lucrative oil business, and got here someday after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on six leaders and associates of Tren de Aragua. A senior administration official mentioned Friday’s deal was “humanitarian in nature” and there was “not a dialogue of sanctions in anyway.”

Rubio credited Bukele — who has forged himself as a key ally in Mr. Trump’s deportation push — for the swap. Bukele posted on X that his authorities initially proposed the swap to Venezuela’s authorities in April.

Ten Individuals are are their manner house from detention in Venezuela! Because of @POTUS, @SecRubio, @usembassyve, @aboehler and plenty of others in your assist bringing Individuals house pic.twitter.com/0lnxkBEZ9S

— Particular Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (@StateSPEHA) July 18, 2025

James LaPorta,

Charlie D’Agata,

S. Dev,

Camilla Schick,

Eleanor Watson,

Olivia Victoria Gazis and

Camilo Montoya-Galvez

contributed to this report.

Extra from CBS Information

Caitlin Yilek

Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, primarily based in Washington, D.C. She beforehand labored for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the Nationwide Press Basis.



Mike Johnson requires Epstein information and ICE memos provides deportation steerage: Morning Rundown
Trump threatens tariffs focusing on Russia with out deal to finish Ukraine struggle in 50 days
Three present and former Louisiana police chiefs are federally charged in alleged visa fraud scheme
How magnificence bills have an effect on your funds
Standing of Gaza ceasefire talks as Trump will get set to host Netanyahu
Share This Article
Facebook Email Print

POPULAR

Liberia: Tons of rally in Monrovia to protest in opposition to Joseph Boakai’s authorities
News

Liberia: Tons of rally in Monrovia to protest in opposition to Joseph Boakai’s authorities

Keyshawn breaks down after surprising jail reunion together with his former worker
Sports

Keyshawn breaks down after surprising jail reunion together with his former worker

Einstein Confirmed That Time Is Relative. However … Why Is It?
Tech

Einstein Confirmed That Time Is Relative. However … Why Is It?

Mark Epstein desires Steve Bannon’s 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother
U.S.

Mark Epstein desires Steve Bannon’s 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother

DOJ strikes to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts, citing public curiosity
Politics

DOJ strikes to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts, citing public curiosity

Tulsi Gabbard Threatens Obama Admin With Felony Referrals Over ‘Treasonous Conspiracy’
Entertainment

Tulsi Gabbard Threatens Obama Admin With Felony Referrals Over ‘Treasonous Conspiracy’

Scoopico

Stay ahead with Scoopico — your source for breaking news, bold opinions, trending culture, and sharp reporting across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. No fluff. Just the scoop.

  • Home
  • U.S.
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • True Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Life
  • Money
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

2025 Copyright © Scoopico. All rights reserved

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?