Venezuela Accuses US of Holding 66 Children After Deportation

The Venezuelan government has accused the United States of illegally holding 66 Venezuelan children who were separated from their parents during deportation amid Washington’s immigration crackdown.

Caracas is demanding the immediate return of the children, claiming they have been placed in foster care.

“We have 66 children kidnapped in the United States. It is a number that grows each day... a cruel and inhumane policy,” said Camila Fabri, head of Venezuela’s Return to the Homeland programme, which advocates for the voluntary return of nationals.

She made the remarks at a gathering where women read letters addressed to US First Lady Melania Trump, urging her to intercede on behalf of the children.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014, driven by violence, inflation, crime, and severe shortages of food, medicine, and essential services—marking the largest displacement crisis in Latin America’s recent history.

Venezuelans in the United States had previously been granted temporary protected status, but the Trump administration revoked that protection as part of its broader deportation campaign.

Caracas said 21 stranded children have so far been returned to Venezuela, including the daughter of one of 252 nationals detained earlier this year during Trump’s immigration crackdown. The detainees were later freed in a prisoner swap and flown back to Venezuela, where some reported abuse while in custody.

According to Fabri, more than 10,600 Venezuelans have returned home in 2025, either deported from the US or repatriated from Mexico.

Tensions remain high between Washington and Caracas. The US has placed a $50 million bounty on President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of leading a cocaine trafficking ring, while Maduro has vowed to deploy millions of militia members in response to what he calls US “threats.”