"We protect all American citizens anywhere in the world," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said as he sat next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Today, they proved that under this administration, those aren't just empty words. Every single person from the United States whom Venezuela was unjustly holding hostage is coming home. They're no longer Nicolás Maduro's political pawns.
But it wasn't Rubio or Trump who made the initial announcement. It was El Presidente himself, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, arguably one of the United States' greatest allies. As it turns out, he's been helping our country negotiate this deal for months.
Remember those Venezuelans who were shipped to El Salvador in March, many of whom were violent criminals and members of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TDA)? The ones who made liberals — and judges (is that redundant these days?) — lose their minds? Bukele is sending them back to their home country in exchange for many prisoners who were unjustly held captive in Venezuela for years, including 10 American citizens and numerous Venezuelan political prisoners.
"This operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials from both the United States and El Salvador, and above all, thanks to Almighty God, it was achieved," Bukele posted on X, adding, "In this, as in other matters, I remind you: patience and trust."
As Matt Gaetz points out, none of the TDA prisoners in Bukele's video look "mistreated, underfed, or tortured in any manner." If you'll recall, everyone's favorite "Maryland Dad," Kilmar Abrego Garcia, claims that he was tortured during his time in prison in El Salvador. Bukele has since proven otherwise.
Related: Abrego Garcia Claims He Was Tortured in El Salvador. But Nayib Bukele Has Receipts.
Gaetz also points out that "El Salvador sees its role as a global player continue to rise with this very high impact diplomacy." I'll second that.
Shortly after Bukele's post, Rubio announced that the American hostages were on their way home, thanks to the leadership of Trump, Bukele, and his team at the State Department.
Rubio also put out a longer statement via the State Department, which reads in part:
Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed U.S. nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland... Our commitment to the American people is clear: we will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home.
He also applauded the release of Venezuela's political prisoners and doubled down on something he feels very strongly about: restoring democracy to the South American country.
We also welcome the release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees that were also released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump Administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. The regime’s use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release of remaining unjustly and arbitrarily detained political prisoners and foreign nationals.
The U.S. embassy in Venezuela also posted a picture of the freed American hostages, along with a caption that says everything: "America First in action."
One of the hostages is Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, a former Navy SEAL who traveled to Venezuela last year for personal reasons. His family also released a statement regarding the news that he'd be coming home. "We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime," they said, adding that Castaneda suffers from several traumatic brain injuries after 18 years in the Navy that impair "his judgment and risk mitigation." They say this is what led to his bad decision to travel to Venezuela.
Related: Why Are Democrats Trying to Sanction One of Our Greatest Allies in Latin America?
The State Department has warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela for any reason, personal or professional. In May, it released the following statement: "Do not travel to or remain in Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. All U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents in Venezuela are strongly advised to depart immediately."
And lastly, let me remind you that all of this comes as Democrats in the Senate are trying to sanction Bukele and his government.
These announcements were just made in the last couple of hours, so I haven't seen how the mainstream media has responded, but I'm betting it won't be positive. I suspect some judge will order the U.S. citizens back to Venezuela or something. Whatever. Here at PJ Media, we know a win when we see one, and this is definitely a win — a win for the hostages and political prisoners, a win for the Trump administration, a win for our growing relationship with Bukele and El Salvador, and a win for the entire Western Hemisphere. We will never stop covering that.
But we can only do it with your help. Become part of the resistance by signing up for a PJ Media VIP membership. It's currently 60% off, making it less than $20 for an entire year, and all you have to do is use the code FIGHT to get the deal. Plus, you get some perks for yourself. Just click this link to sign up.