Two Venezuelan planes left the U.S. Monday to return 190 of its nationals deported under President Donald Trump's illegal immigration crackdown, Fox News reported. The Convisa airliners were sent by the South American country to retrieve its citizens from U.S. Army base Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
The flights were arranged as part of Trump's plan to send migrants illegally in the U.S. back to their home countries. Except for a brief return to the practice in 2023, deportation flights had been stopped until now.
Richard Grenell, Trump's envoy, posted a photo of the occasion. "Thank you, @realDonaldTrump. Two planes of illegal immigrants left El Paso today headed to Venezuela - paid for by the Venezuelans," he posted to X, formerly Twitter, Monday.
Thank you, @realDonaldTrump.
Two planes of illegal immigrants left El Paso today headed to Venezuela - paid for by the Venezuelans. pic.twitter.com/Tc7GmwfOJp
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 10, 2025
Trump's plan represents a return to sanity after President Joe Biden's term. Since 2021, the Southern border has seen a surge of immigrants coming from Venezuela and other nations that previously refused to accept deportees.
However, Grenell's visit to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last month prompted a change of heart. "This is the world we want, a world of peace, understanding, dialogue, and cooperation," Maduro said.
Trump touted Grenell's success in securing permission for "all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua," to be sent home with their flight paid for by the receiving nation. Moreover, six Americans held in Venezuela were released back to the U.S.
The Venezuelan government took issue with "ill-intentioned" and "false" statements about Tren de Aragua gang members being part of the deportation. However, it confirmed that the return flight indeed took place on Monday.
Still, the return to sanity doesn't stop there. Secretary of State Marco Rubio brokered similar agreements with Guatemala and El Salvador to ship their citizens back to their respective countries.
Trump's successes keep piling up on the illegal immigration front. In a separate Fox News report, Trump's standoff with Mexico to deal with illegal immigration or face tariffs ended in an agreement to send 10,000 Mexican National Guard troops to secure the border from their side.
The president made the deal after speaking with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. "It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States," Trump touted on his Truth Social.
"These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country," he went on. Trump noted that there would be a one-month reprieve while the administration negotiates with its Mexican counterparts.
"I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a 'deal' between our two Countries," Trump added. He successfully addressed illegal immigration while preserving friendly relations between the nations.
Trump's presidency is already off to a winning start. He has done in a matter of weeks what Democrats spent years saying was impossible, and he's just getting started.
