International

Venezuela says that none of the US deportees has links to the Aragua Train

Venezuela denied on Wednesday that there are people linked to the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua – born in a prison in the Caribbean country – among the 190 deportees from the United States who arrived on Monday on two flights to Caracas, as previously communicated by Washington, according to the Administration of Nicolás Maduro.

“There is not a single one (…) with a history of being linked to the Aragua Train, (…) only 17 of those who came have (…) some pending account with the Justice,” said the head of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, in his weekly television program broadcast by the state channel VTV.

He indicated that most of the cases of those 17 people were recorded about facts between 2010 and 2018.

Cabello assured that the deported Venezuelans were received “as human beings” at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, which serves Caracas, where “the first thing they did was sing the national anthem” and then give their testimonies.

“Some told us (…) ‘thank you for getting us out of hell’,” said the also first vice president of the Chavista United Socialist Party (PSUV), and added that the oldest of the deportees is 32 years old.

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On the other hand, he pointed out that the compatriots also told “how much they paid the coyotes (human traffickers)” and “who they were”.

On Monday, before the arrival of the flights, the Venezuelan Communication portfolio reported that the US government notified it that “some people” traveling back “are allegedly linked to criminal activities, or would be involved in the actions” of the Aragua Train.

At the end of January, US President Donald Trump sent his special representative Richard Grenell to Caracas, where he met with Maduro – invested by the Chavista National Assembly (AN, Parliament) for a third term, after his questioned re-election in 2024 – after which the release of six Americans detained in the country was announced and that Venezuela would accept deported migrants.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.