Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday morning that 250 Venezuelans had been sent to El Salvador, allegedly part of the MS-13 and Tren de Agua gangs, after a federal judge in the U.S. had ordered the removals halted and any planes carrying them to turn around.
“We have sent 2 dangerous top MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most wanted back to face justice in El Salvador. Also, as promised by @POTUS, we sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars. President @nayibbukele is not only the strongest security leader in our region, he’s also a great friend of the U.S. Thank you!”
In a Saturday order, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said: “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States however that is accomplished. Make sure it’s complied with immediately.”
The Trump administration was attempting to remove the individuals by invoking the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law only used three times in U.S. history. The judge said he needs to determine whether the administration’s use of the law was illegal.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.