The prisoner swap for 252 Venezuelan men sent to Nayib Bukele's concentration camp has been in the works since at least April. Was that always the plan? Is that why Emil Bove said the planes had to take off, "no matter what"? www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/19/w...
Are all these immigrants being rounded up for sale somewhere? Are we about to federalize human trafficking? A new slave trade?
@emptywheel.bsky.social If it smells bad it probably is rotten to the core.
The US paid $16M for this BS. He could've gotten away with paying without the human exchange so there's something else. Of course, Bukele had already backed off with the UN investigation so I think it's CYA now. Trump doesn't give a shit about those Americans. Did he praise himself for it? Nah.
Victim / abductee swap. The men Bukele swapped weren’t prisoners, they were abducted.
They don’t deserve that much credit for strategy.
Human trafficking
I don’t understand this swap at all. I thought the whole reason Venezuelans couldn’t be deported back to Venezuela was because the Venezuelan government wouldn’t accept them. So taken them at this point is more like they’re doing *us* a favor.
Why? Since when does this regime care about Americans anywhere?
Call it what it is, human trafficking
This is human trafficking and someone is making money out of this.
I’m surprised that the release of the prisoners to Venezuela isn’t a bigger news item, even in The Guardian. It’s huge to me. And I want all kinds of news about what these poor men suffered in that prison, thanks to Trump et al.
That is what they claim, I would not believe it. They were negotiating completely different conditions in April and it tanked. This new initiative cannot be more than 2 weeks old. Just a rushed up venture to save face because the international attention was increasing and UN has taken interest.
Sounds like Trump used Putin’s playbook of hostage taking for leverage, which will have terrible consequences.
When is Trump going to bring in a Golden thrown to ads to all the other tacky gold
People I’ve spoken with in the USG are skeptical/dismissive that this was always the plan.
TY. But it became the plan in April bc it was becoming an embarrassment?
Yes. Or when El Salvador said they were still under US control.
Not sure embarrassment is in this fascist regime's dictionary. Wouldn't be surprised if some international and possible future pressure became too much for Bukele and he wanted out.
I agree. El Salvador isn't exactly a big player who can throw their weight around on the world stage. The EU + others, could easily have applied "pressure" that Bukele wasn't ready or able to handle.
It became untenable.
Of course it is. Always has been
Probably. And I’m teally curious about some of the people they swapped for as El Pais is running this story: english.elpais.com/internationa...
Why bother with a stop at a gulag in El Salvador, then? Just send them directly. I think I need to read up on who the people released by Maduro are.
You give them too much credit.
Or just so Bove could get his jurist nomination?
It’s all the worst of human trafficking no matter what the only good side is they are NOT in CECOT which should be shut down. No one deserves that.
This is just absolutely disgusting. What is surprising is to see how easily democracy in the USA can be eliminated.
Are there Americans to trade in other countries that are identified as sites?
Follow the money
What happened to the gay man & any others who felt they were in danger if they returned to Venezuela? Will they be safe?
I am kind of surprised they haven't sued Abrego Garcia for tortious interference of a contract - them prisoners swaps cost real money!!
It’s possible but much more likely the plan to send to El Salvador came out of the nahtsee mind of Miller, as a means of terrorizing people. All of a piece with Gitmo, Alcatraz CA, Alcatraz, concentration camps in texas. Somewhere along the line someone suggested a prisoner swap.
no, came together later to still the waters.
Bartering innocent humans is pretty 1930s like.
human trafficking or heroic rescue of US citizens?
Neither but certainly NOT the latter.
This is a scandal. Using people like pawns in a political game. This isn’t diplomacy. Now many of them are in danger—again. There should be an investigation.