The Trump administration has transferred a new group of migrants to the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, citing possible ties to a Venezuelan gang, according to officials familiar with the operation.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) charter flight from El Paso transported approximately 20 individuals to the base on Thursday, officials confirmed under the condition of anonymity. However, no evidence has been publicly presented to support the claim that the migrants are linked to criminal groups.
This marks the first time migrants have been sent to Guantánamo Bay since March 11, when 40 individuals previously held at the facility were returned to the United States. That transfer occurred just days before a court hearing in ongoing lawsuits challenging the administration’s policy of detaining immigration detainees at the base.
