Washington.- He US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced this Sunday that under the Alien Enemies Act Invoked the day before, nearly 250 people considered to be members of the Aragua Train to El Salvador have been deported, which the president of that country, Nayib Bukele, has offered to imprison.
As part of that process, the Salvadoran leader had requested that they send "two dangerous leaders" of the Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) "and 21 of their most wanted individuals to face justice in their country," something the head of US diplomacy said had been fulfilled.
Rubio detailed in X that Bukele had offered to keep those accused of being members of the Aragua Train "in their excellent prisons at a fair price," which in his opinion "will also save money" for American taxpayers.
"Once again, President Bukele has demonstrated that he is not only the strongest security leader in our region, but also a great friend of the United States," the top US diplomat added in a statement.
Rubio believed that Donald Trump "is keeping the promises he made to the American people" and that the expulsion of "hundreds of violent criminals" would never have happened under any other US president.
To speed up deportations against members of Tren de Aragua, Trump decided this Saturday to apply the Alien Enemies Act, which dates back to 1798 and had not been invoked since the Second World War (1939-1945).
It is a wartime authority that allows citizens of an enemy nation to be detained or deported without a hearing. Under this authority, all Venezuelans over the age of 14 who are considered members of that group and are in the U.S. and are not naturalized or legal permanent residents are subject to detention, detention, and removal as enemy aliens.
Before his invocation, however, Federal Judge James Boasberg had preemptively prohibited its application against the deportation of five Venezuelans., and shortly thereafter expanded its ban to cover all non-citizens in U.S. custody who would be subject to the regulations.
The judge detailed in his order, effective for 14 days or until further notice, that any plane with those people on board, whether taking off or in the air, must return to the United States.
The White House spokesman, Caroline Leavitt, recalled in a statement that the Aragua Train had been declared a foreign terrorist group by the United States in February.
You may be interested in: Judge blocks Trump from deporting 5 Venezuelans under wartime law
"It's one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist groups on the planet. They rape, maim, and murder for sport. They're responsible for some of the most heinous crimes to have occurred on American soil in recent years," he said.
Leavitt emphasized that it constitutes "a direct threat to the national security" of the United States and considered that the arrest and deportation of those approximately 250 members, which she raised to nearly 300, "has saved countless American lives."
