In a significant diplomatic victory, the Trump administration secured the release of 10 Americans wrongly jailed in Venezuela on July 18, 2025. In exchange for the release of these hostages, 252 Venezuelan nationals were released from El Salvador’s CECOT prison and returned home. These men were initially arrested under the Alien Enemies Act and accused of being Tren de Aragua gang members.
For context, reacting to the diplomatic win, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised President Trump’s leadership and slammed the unaccountable government of Venezuela for the unjust detentions. Similarly, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed the deal.
In any case, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Trump’s leadership and care for the American people. He declared, “Today, thanks to President Trump’s leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomes home ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela.”
Explaining the situation, Rubio slammed the Venezuelan government for taking American hostages, saying, “Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than in any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed US nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process.”
Concluding his remarks, the Secretary of State reiterated his strong commitment to the American people. Rubio explained, “Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,” adding, “Our commitment to the American people is clear. We will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home.”
Echoing these remarks, Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, provided details about the prison exchange. He posted, “Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.”
Building on this point, Bukele slammed the tyrannical government of Venezuela for jailing Americans. The president stated, “As was offered to the Venezuelan regime back in April, we carried out this exchange in return for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, people that [the] regime had kept in its prisons for years, as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages.”
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Concluding his remarks, Bukele emphasized the months of work that went into this major diplomatic victory. He revealed, “This operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages.”
The pious president also thanked God for helping to secure the release of the prisoners, saying, “However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials from both the United States and El Salvador, and above all, thanks to Almighty God, it was achieved. In this, as in other matters, I remind you: patience and trust.”