The U.S. military transferred a group of 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 to El Salvador from Guantanamo Bay on Sunday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio said in a statement posted on X that the alleged gang members included murderers and rapists.
“In order to keep the American people safe, @POTUS designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” Rubio said. “These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens.”
Those transferred to El Salvador included Keivis Jesus Arrecheder Vasquez, a Venezuelan national and an alleged leader of Tren de Aragua. He has two criminal charges pending related to the intent to sell drugs.
EL SALVADOR TAKES IN HUNDREDS OF VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS FROM US, EVEN AS JUDGE MOVES TO BLOCK DEPORTATIONS
Six other alleged Tren de Aragua members were also transferred. All the individuals transferred were either citizens of Venezuela or El Salvador. Some have criminal charges pending, while most have been convicted.
Senior White House officials told Fox News that these removals were done via Title 8, not the Alien Enemies Act, and they all had deportation orders or final orders of removal, meaning the Trump administration did not violate a federal judge’s order halting the deportations.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg extended a restraining order on Friday against the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law, by the Trump administration to deport violent gang members with alleged ties to gangs.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News in a statement that the Trump administration will continue going after illegal alien criminals.
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“Every day, America becomes safer, thanks to the leadership of President Trump,” Leavitt said. “If you’re an illegal terrorist or criminal – the Trump administration is coming for you.”
