First U.S. deportation flight lands in Venezuela under new Biden crackdown

An aircraft carrying Venezuelan migrants, who will be repatriated as part of an immigration enforcement process, departs from the Valley International Airport, in Harlingen, Texas, U.S. October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

HARLINGEN, Texas (Reuters) - The first U.S. deportation flight to Venezuela under a new Biden administration initiative landed in Caracas on Wednesday, as part of a tougher approach to border enforcement as the U.S. struggles with record illegal crossings.

At an airport in Harlingen, Texas, on Wednesday morning, buses dropped Venezuelan men and women in shackles on the tarmac where they were patted down and ushered onto a charter plane, Reuters witnesses said. About 130 Venezuelans were deported, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).