El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has confirmed the arrival of the first 238 alleged members of a “Venezuelan criminal organization.” Although Bukele did not specify the name of the criminal group, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio, who brokered the deal last month, took to social media platform X to announce that the U.S. has sent “2 dangerous MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most wanted back to face justice in El Salvador…” Rubio also mentioned that over 250 members of the Tren de Aragua criminal network, a notorious Venezuelan gang, were included in the transfer.

The Associated Press previously reported that the Trump administration had agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million for the imprisonment of approximately 300 alleged members of the “Venezuelan gang” for one year.

In another development, the Trump administration’s controversial efforts to expedite deportations have faced a legal roadblock. On late Saturday, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s attempt to invoke the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to accelerate deportations. The judge’s order places a 14-day restriction on any deportations, signaling a significant hurdle in the administration’s ongoing immigration policies. The Justice Department has already appealed the decision, arguing that the D.C. court lacks jurisdiction over the case, as none of the five individuals in question are located within the district.

These two events reflect ongoing tensions in U.S.-El Salvador relations, particularly as the Biden administration’s approach to immigration and gang violence continues to evolve.