US deportation flights to Venezuela continue despite Nicolas Maduro arrest and government transition

Illegal Immigrants

US deportation flights to Venezuela continue despite Nicolas Maduro arrest and government transition

The Trump administration is pressing ahead with deportation flights to Venezuela following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, DHS officials said Sunday.

Louis Casiano Fox News

Published

January 5, 2026 1:55pm EST

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Deportation flights to Venezuela will continue following the arrest of the South American nation's former leader Nicolas Maduro, Fox News has learned.

"Flights are not paused," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.

During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said there was no paid on the flights, despite the government in Caracas being in transition.

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Venezuelan migrants depart a deportation flight

Venezuelan migrants walk following their arrival on a flight after being deported from the United States, in Caracas, Venezuela in March 2025. The Trump administration is moving forward with the deportation flights to Venezuela. (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

The Trump administration has focused on deporting criminal illegal immigrants, including members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, which President Donald Trump designated a foreign terrorist organization last year.

An indictment against Maduro alleges that he partnered with narco-terrorists, including TdA and its leader, to distribute cocaine since at least 1999.

"TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States, including New York," the indictment said.

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"TdA's criminal activities include human smuggling and other illicit acts. TdA has developed additional revenue sources through a range of other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization's criminal activities," it continued.

Thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) face deportation. Noem ended TPS for Venezuelans last year.

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5 in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images)

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"Given Venezuela’s substantial role in driving irregular migration and the clear magnet effect created by Temporary Protected Status, maintaining or expanding TPS for Venezuelan nationals directly undermines the Trump Administration’s efforts to secure our southern border and manage migration effectively," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

US deportation flights to Venezuela continue despite Nicolas Maduro arrest and government transition