Venezuela opens an investigation into El Salvador’s Bukele for alleged mistreatment of migrants
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Venezuela says it will investigate El Salvador officials over alleged abuse of Cecot detainees deported from US
Venezuela says it is opening a formal investigation into several Salvadoran officials. 252 Venezuelans, who had been imprisoned at the notorious Cecot prison in March, were released. They were released and returned to their home country on Friday in exchange for 10 US nationals and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners. El Salvador claimed the detainees had ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though immigration attorneys, advocates and family members have pushed back on that, claiming in many cases that the detainees have no criminal record. The released migrants have not yet been reunited with their families in Venezuela, and CNN has not had access to any of the ex-detainees. The migrants arrived at Simón Bolívar International Airport close to Caracas on two flights.
Some 252 Venezuelans, who had been imprisoned at the notorious Cecot prison in March following their deportation, were released and returned to their home country on Friday in exchange for 10 US nationals and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners, US officials said.
Venezuela has previously accused El Salvador of kidnapping the detainees after it agreed with the US to take them into custody. El Salvador claimed the detainees had ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though immigration attorneys, advocates and family members have pushed back on that, claiming in many cases that the detainees had no criminal record.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab held a press conference Monday to address the alleged mistreatment, showing edited footage of some of the detainees talking about their experience at the prison. Saab said officials have gathered 123 complaints of abuse, including reports of sexual assault, torture and beatings by Salvadoran prison guards.
In one of the videos, a man says he was sexually abused.
In another, several detainees who claim to have been beaten and shot at with pellets and pepper spray show what appear to be bruises and scars all over their bodies.
CNN cannot independently verify the extent of the injuries, when they were sustained, or whether the men were speaking under duress. It has reached out to the Salvadoran presidency for comment.
In the past, the Bukele administration has said it respects the human rights of those in custody “without distinction of nationality” and that its prison system meets safety and order standards.
Venezuela has itself faced accusations of abuse in its prisons, but its government insists it respects the rights of inmates.
The released migrants have not yet been reunited with their families in Venezuela. Authorities say they are undergoing health, immigration, and criminal background checks, among other procedures – a routine process for deportees returning to the country.
Two relatives of the ex-detainees told CNN they were still waiting for Venezuelan officials to hand them over to their families. One relative said her nephew could be handed over today. CNN has not had access to any of the released Venezuelans.
The migrants arrived at Simón Bolívar International Airport close to Caracas on two flights that departed from El Salvador, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said.
Families of the ex-detainees told CNN on Friday that they were excited about their return.
Mariyin Araujo, the wife of Jerce Reyes, said she was “overjoyed.”
“My two daughters are super happy; they are really anxious and cannot wait to see their father,” she said on Friday.
Blanca Martínez, the partner of another former Venezuelan detainee, Miguel Ángel Rojas, told CNN she was thrilled that she would hear from him for the first time in four months.
“To think that we will be able to hear him … it excites me,” she said. “I’m happy, happy for him, his son, his mom, his dad, his whole family.”
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Venezuela Investigates El Salvador’s Bukele for Migrant Mistreatment
Venezuelan attorney general’s office announced Monday the opening of an investigation into El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. Probe centers on alleged mistreatment and human rights violations against Venezuelan migrants.
These migrants were detained for months in a high-security prison in El Salvador after being deported from the United States. Following claims of mistreatment, Attorney General Tarek William Saab’s office has widened the scope of the investigation to include El Salvador’s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and prison head Osiris Luna.
Since March, over 250 migrants have been held in the Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega-prison intended for alleged gang members. The migrants were released Friday in a diplomatic exchange involving 10 US nationals held in Venezuelan jails. Bukele’s office has yet to comment on the matter.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Venezuela Launches Bold Investigation into Bukele’s Alleged Migrant Abuse in El Salvador
Venezuela’s attorney general is investigating El Salvador’s President Bukele for alleged human rights violations against Venezuelan migrants. Over 250 migrants were held at the Terrorism Confinement Center, a facility primarily designed for gang members. The migrants were recently released in a deal that involved the exchange of 10 U.S. nationals held in Venezuela. The situation underscores the urgent need for humane treatment of migrants and the importance of international oversight in human rights matters.
apnews.com
Venezuela’s attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for alleged mistreatment of Venezuelan migrants. This inquiry comes after reports surfaced about the harsh conditions faced by these individuals during their detention in a maximum-security prison.
6 Key Takeaways Venezuela investigates El Salvador’s President Bukele
Allegations of mistreatment of Venezuelan migrants
Migrants detained in maximum-security prison
Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced probe
More than 250 migrants held since March
Exchange deal involved U.S. nationals’ release
On July 21, 2025, attorney general Tarek William Saab announced that the investigation would also target El Salvador’s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and prison system chief Osiris Luna. Over 250 migrants were held at the Terrorism Confinement Center, a facility primarily designed for gang members amid Bukele’s aggressive anti-gang campaign.
The migrants were recently released in a deal that involved the exchange of 10 U.S. nationals held in Venezuela. What does this mean for international relations in the region?
Fast Answer: Venezuela investigates President Bukele for human rights violations against migrants, raising concerns about regional diplomatic relations and treatment of detainees.
This investigation highlights the ongoing struggle for migrant rights in Central America. Are governments doing enough to protect vulnerable populations? Key points include:
Allegations of inhumane treatment in detention facilities.
International scrutiny on Bukele’s administration.
Potential diplomatic repercussions for El Salvador.
The situation underscores the urgent need for humane treatment of migrants and the importance of international oversight in human rights matters.
As this investigation unfolds, it is crucial for the international community to monitor developments and advocate for the rights of all migrants, ensuring their dignity is upheld.
Venezuela Says Migrants Were Tortured In Salvadoran Prison
Venezuela announces probe into torture claims by 252 migrants the U.S. had sent to a Salvadoran prison. They said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food. Some had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip. The men were freed last Friday and flown back home in what the Trump administration said was an exchange for 10 Americans or US residents and dozens of “political prisoners” held in Venezuela. The Venezuelan investigation would target President Nayib Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity, the attorney general said in a press conference in Caracas. the men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last many of them were seen was when the government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab presented photos and testimonies at a press conference in Caracas of some of the men, who said they had feared not making it out alive.
Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip.
Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to the notorious CECOT prison as part of US President Donald Trump’s migrant crackdown, said he barely survived the ordeal.
“We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions,” he said in a video presented by Saab.
“I was sexually abused.”
Saab said the prosecutor’s office was interviewing the returned migrants.
Many spoke of being held in “inhuman cells,” deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water.
The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last many of them were seen was when President Nayib Bukele’s government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn.
By Monday afternoon, the migrants had not yet been reunited with their families.
Officials said they were undergoing medical exams, being issued with new Venezuelan ID cards, and interviewed by the prosecutor’s office.
Mercedes Yamarte, 46, told AFP she was preparing a welcome party for her 29-year-old son Mervin — one of the men released from the prison Bukele built as part of his mass anti-gang crackdown.
She has put up balloons, banners and prepared food at their home in a poor neighborhood of Maracaibo in northern Venezuela, but has no idea when to expect him.
At lunchtime on Monday, she received a call, and heard the words: “Mom, it’s Mervin.”
“I hadn’t heard my son’s voice in four months and seven days, listening to him was a joy, a joy I cannot describe,” she told AFP.
The men were accused in the United States of being gang members and flown in March to El Salvador, after Trump invoked rarely used wartime laws to deport the men without court hearings.
Their treatment elicited an international outcry.
Saab said the Venezuelan investigation would target Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity.
And he urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act.
The men were freed last Friday and flown back home in what the Trump administration said was an exchange for 10 Americans or US residents and dozens of “political prisoners” held in Venezuela.
Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation.
Hundreds of people are held for political reasons in Venezuela, according to rights group Foro Penal.
Some 2,400 people were arrested, 28 killed and 200 injured in a crackdown on protests that broke out last July after President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in elections he is widely accused of having stolen.
On Sunday, Maduro’s government insisted negotiations for the migrants’ release were held “only with the United States of America” and not “the clown” Bukele.
There had been little to no news on the Venezuelan men’s fate since the US deported them to El Salvador in March 2025 (Credit: AFP)
Venezuela Opens Investigation into El Salvador’s Bukele for Alleged Mistreatment of Migrants
The migrants were held in a maximum-security prison in Venezuela. They were released as part of a swap deal with the United States. The migrants had been in the prison for more than a year. The deal was agreed in exchange for the release of 10 other migrants. The release of the migrants has been condemned by the U.S. government.
The migrants in question spent months detained in a maximum-security prison in the Central American country after being deported by the United Sates.
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Attorney General Tarek William Saab said his office decided to open the probe after some of the migrants informed Venezuelan authorities of the alleged mistreatment. The investigation includes El Salvador’s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and the head of the prison system, Osiris Luna.
More than 250 migrants were held since March in a mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which was built to hold alleged gang members in Bukele’s war on the country’s gangs.
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They were released on Friday by El Salvador in exchange for 10 US nationals jailed in Venezuela, and as part of a three-country arrangement.
Bukele’s office didn’t reply immediately to a request for comment. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)