Venezuelan Gov’t Meets Trump Envoy Over Migration, Sanctions; Releases Detained US Nationals

Caracas, February 2, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro hosted White House Special Envoy Richard Grenell in a first engagement with the recently inaugurated Trump administration.
The meeting at Miraflores Presidential Palace on Friday afternoon likewise counted on Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. The latter has headed the Maduro government’s dialogue efforts in recent years.
In a statement, Caracas confirmed that it had accepted a US request for a meeting in the context of its “Bolivarian peace diplomacy.”
“The discussions covered several topics of common interest for both countries: migration, the negative impact of economic sanctions, US citizens detained in Venezuela,” the communique read. “The need to revamp bilateral relations was also ratified.”
Maduro praised the talks as a “first step” and expressed hope that the engagement would continue.
“We had a frank and open conversation which was positive,” he said in a broadcast event. “I proposed a fresh start, a new beginning in the US-Venezuela relations.”
The Venezuelan president has reiterated calls for renewed, “respect-based” relations with Washington. The first Trump administration imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Caracas with wide-reaching sanctions in an effort to trigger regime change. The coercive measures severely exacerbated the Caribbean nation’s economic struggles and migrant exodus.
The Maduro administration broke diplomatic ties with the US in 2019 following the White House’s recognition of the self-proclaimed “interim government” led by Juan Guaidó.
Friday’s high-level encounter was followed by the announcement that Venezuelan authorities had released six imprisoned US nationals, who flew back stateside with Grenell. “We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens,” the special envoy wrote on social media.
At the time of writing, neither Caracas nor Washington have disclosed the identities of the freed US citizens nor the charges they were facing. In recent months, Venezuelan authorities have announced several arrests of foreign nationals accused of being “mercenaries” and taking part in destabilization activities. However, their identities were not revealed.
For his part, Trump acknowledged the returning US nationals but stressed that he “has been a big opponent of Maduro” and that his administration wants to “do something with Venezuela.”
On Saturday, the US president announced that the Grenell meeting had also led to Venezuelan authorities accepting to receive deported migrants back into the country.
“Venezuela has agreed to receive […] all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the US, including gang members of Tren de Aragua,” Trump wrote, adding that Venezuela would supply the transportation. Venezuelan authorities have not commented on the matter.
Cracking down on immigrants has been one of the early priorities for the new US administration. On Wednesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revoked the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, leaving more than 600,000 at risk of deportation.
Trump has likewise set sights on Tren de Aragua, a crime syndicate that emerged in Venezuela in the early 2010s. US law enforcement agencies have claimed that the group has built a growing presence in several US states. The White House designated Tren de Aragua a “transnational crime organization.”
The new Republican administration has maintained its Democratic predecessor’s backing for the Venezuelan hardline opposition. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Edmundo González as Venezuela’s “rightful president,” supporting his claim to have won the July 28, 2024 presidential elections.
González and far-right leader María Corina Machado have not commented on Washington’s direct engagement with the Venezuelan government. González urged US officials not to negotiate deportations with Maduro and instead send Venezuelan migrants to a third country.
Venezuelan opposition pundits claimed that the Trump administration had made no concessions and had forced Maduro to receive deportation flights.