The United States has flew over 200 immigrants who claimed members of the Venezuelan gang would be jailed in El Salvador, President Naive Buquere said after his US Donald Trump raised wartime laws to controversially banish them.
Sunday’s deportation occurred despite a federal US judge granting a temporary suspension of the expulsion order.
In a sharp responsibilities on Sunday, the Venezuelan government said Trump “criminalizes” Venezuelan immigrants. The case violated both US and international law, he added.
“Oopsie…too late,” Buckel posted on social media in response to an article about the judge’s verdict, adding a crying emoji with left-wing emoji.
The Trump administration said it is suing a court order.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt defended the deportation, saying that Trump “using his core power as president and commander to protect the American people from the urgent threat.”
Buquel announced the action on X on Sunday, saying, “Today, Tren de Aragua, the first 238 members of Venezuelan criminal organization, has arrived in our country.”
Today, Tren de Aragua, the first 238 members of Venezuelan crime organization, has arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Centre for the (renewable) terrorism confinement for a year.
The US will pay them very low fees…pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpd6
– Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
He shared a video of several men handcuffed. Transferred to a fleet of intense protection from the plane, the presidency shared a series of photos showing the prisoner’s head being shaved, and manipulated his hands behind his back as he arrived at El Salvador.
Bukere said the US would “pay a very low fee” for custody of a man in El Salvador, but neither he nor the American officials specified the amount.
Trump on Friday signed an order calling the 1798 alien enemy law, but it wasn’t made public until Saturday.
Controversial wartime authorities have allowed the US president to detain or deport citizens of enemy countries, and have been called only three times during major international conflicts, including World War II and II.
At a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month, Buquere offered to live in prisoners in his country, including Tren de Aragua and Salvador’s own MS-13 gang members.
Megajale with windowless cells
Iron-fisted Bukere is extremely popular in his Latin American country for his successful repression of violent gangs, but has faced criticism from human rights groups.
His offer to steal foreign prisoners for a fee divided the Salvadorans. Salvadorans fears retreating the country’s fight against violent crime.
Leavitt told Fox News’ Sunday morning futures program that Trump is “acting within the law.”
Bukele said the suspect’s gang members, capable of 40,000 prisoners, have been sent to the country’s largest security terrorism confinement centre (CECOT), a huge prison on the edge of the jungle 75 km (47 miles) southeast of San Salvador.
Prisoner is stuffed into a cell without windows, sleeping in a metal bed without mattress, and is forbidden to have visitors.
Rubio said in a statement Sunday that the US deported MS-13 “top leaders” as part of the relocation of immigrants in Venezuela.
Wartime Method
Trump claimed at his order that Tren de Aragua had “engered irregular wars against US territory, both in the direct and secret direction of the Maduro administration, or in other directions.”
The statement will rule Trump Attorney General Pam Bondy for 60 days “subject to immediate arrest, detention and removal” all Tren de Aragua gang members.
This order applies to all Venezuelan Tren de Aragua members who are over the age of 14 and do not naturalize US citizens or legal permanent residents.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Alliance Group democracy have called on the U.S. District Court in Washington to ban deportation. The 1798 Act claims it is not intended for use in peacetime.
Judge James Boasberg issued a 14-day suspension on deportation under the new order on Saturday.
Bondi condemned the ruling, saying in a statement it “puts the public and law enforcement at risk.”
The Salvador prison where the suspect was sent already houses around 15,000 members of the MS-13 and rival Salvadran Barrio 18 gang.
They were rounded up under the emergency imposed by Bukere in 2022 after a surge in gang violence.
