Venezuela to continue accepting migrants deported from US, says Maduro

By Sinan Dogan

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday his country will continue accepting migrants deported by air from the US under an agreement reached in January.

The Venezuelan leader announced that an aircraft carrying 266 Venezuelan migrants from the US landed at Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport, Venezuela-based Telesur news reported.

The number of migrants returned to Venezuela in the last two days reached 525.

Maduro said another flight would arrive the next day, and the process would continue.

He said Venezuela accepted return flights at Washington's request, noting there had been a recent disruption.

Maduro said he received a direct request to continue the plan with US aircraft and approved it.

Venezuela said on Wednesday it would restart return flights for migrants at the US government's request.

The cooperation on deportations comes despite severely strained US-Venezuela relations. The US has expanded military operations across Latin America in recent months, deploying warships, fighter jets, and other assets to the Caribbean region.

Trump recently declared Venezuelan airspace would be "completely shut down" and designated Venezuelan officials and criminal networks as foreign terrorist organizations as Caracas criticized US threats.