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The first deportation flight from the United States to Venezuela since the removal of Nicolas Maduro arrived in Caracas on Friday, marking a significant shift in relations between the two nations following a dramatic regime change.
The flight from Phoenix, Arizona, carried 231 Venezuelan nationals and landed at Maiquetia international airport, according to AFP reporters on the ground. The deportations resumed two weeks after Maduro's capture by US forces in an operation that fundamentally altered Venezuela's political landscape.
President Donald Trump ordered Maduro's overthrow through a special forces operation that included military strikes on Caracas and surrounding areas on January 3. Venezuelan authorities reported at least 100 fatalities in the attacks, with approximately half of the casualties being security force members.
The operation represented the culmination of what Trump described as a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro, whom the US president had long considered an adversary. Venezuela is a major oil-producing nation that has experienced severe economic and political turmoil in recent years, leading millions to flee the country.
For several months during the standoff, Venezuela continued accepting undocumented migrants deported from the United States. However, Washington suspended the deportation flights in mid-December, immediately before launching the military strikes that led to Maduro's removal from power.
The resumption of migrant returns signals what observers view as a warming of relations between Washington and Caracas in the post-Maduro era.
Trump has publicly stated that Washington now effectively controls the Caribbean nation, working in conjunction with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former deputy who is now serving as acting president. Rodriguez previously held senior positions in Maduro's government before the regime change.
The extent of US influence over Venezuela's interim government and the timeline for potential elections or permanent leadership arrangements remain unclear.
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