When Deportation Flights Resume: Venezuela and the United States

Venezuela has resumed accepting deportation flights from the United States. The agreement to restart flights was reached on March 23, 2025, and a plane carrying 199 people landed at Maiquetía International Airport on March 24, 2025. Flights had been paused since March 8. The pause followed a dispute related to U.S. actions, including the withdrawal of Chevron's export license. Some people on the flights had been held at Guantánamo Bay and in U.S. jails.

The resumption follows months of increased deportations. In March 2025, the United States deported hundreds of Venezuelans, and some were sent to El Salvador, which prompted regional concern. The U.S. invoked the Alien Enemies Act in some cases to speed removals. The situation has made migration a sharp topic between the two countries; some flights have carried as many as 379 people. Since January 20, 2025 deportations of Venezuelans have increased sharply, and the coming weeks may see more returns.