Amid US ‘running’ Venezuela claims, Marco Rubio has no idea about 137 deported Venezuelan migrants

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said in a court filing that America does not know the whereabouts of 137 Venezuelans who were deported from the country under the Aliens Act. The disclosure comes days after the US launched strikes on Venezuela and unseated Nicolas Maduro, paving way for the increasing American involvement in the affairs of Venezuela.

The Venezuelans were sent from the US to a notorious prison in El Salvador in March without receiving advance notice or a chance to object.

In a court filing, Marco Rubio said, “Given the passage of time, the U.S. government does not know—nor does it have any way of knowing—the whereabouts of class members, including whether anyone has departed Venezuela or whether the [Nicolas Maduro] regime subsequently took anyone back into custody.”

He also informed the court that following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and the “fluid situation” in Venezuela, giving an opportunity to migrants to fight their deportation was not “feasible”.

In a court filing late Monday, Justice Department officials said that holding video hearings for the men in Venezuela “would pose insurmountable legal and practical obstacles” and that any effort to bring them back to the US “would disrupt ongoing negotiations” with the post-Maduro government.

Marco Rubio argued that raising the issue again “would risk material damage to US foreign policy interests in Venezuela.”

Just a few days ago Donald Trump had announced that the US will “run Venezuela” until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” can be ensured. “We can't take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn't have the interests of Venezuelans in mind,” he had said.

He had also posted a picture of himself on his social media site Truth Social with his designation listed as “Acting President of Venezuela”.

The post on Truth Social on Sunday has Trump's official portrait and then the designation “Acting President of Venezuela, “Incumbent January 2026.” It also has his designation as the 45th and 47th President of the United States, who assumed office on January 20, 2025.

The United States had carried out strikes in Venezuela on January 3, capturing the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, who, along with his wife Cilia Flores, was flown to New York, where they were indicted on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. Venezuela's vice president and oil minister, Delcy Rodriguez, was formally sworn in as the country's interim president last week.

(With agency inputs)