Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Last week, Venezuela received three new groups of repatriated nationals from the US under the Return to the Homeland Plan. There has been a steady rise in returnees since the resumption of flights this year. The flights, which landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, come as the nation continues to navigate the aftermath of the January 3 US military attacks.
Recent flight data and statistics
Since the start of 2026, 10 repatriation flights have arrived in Venezuela from the US, bringing a total of 2,256 citizens back home. Last week alone, 747 Venezuelans were repatriated in three separate flights. When added to the cumulative figures of the previous year, the total has reached 21,227 repatriated migrants who have escaped wrongful detention and racist persecution in the US.
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The latest flights, operated by the US-based Eastern Airlines, are detailed below:
• Flight no. 106: Arrived Monday, February 2, carrying 174 migrants from the United States. The group consisted of 139 men, 32 women, and three minors. Among the arrivals was eight-year-old Samara Sophie Suárez, an unaccompanied minor who is now reunited with her family.
• Flight no. 107: Arrived Wednesday, February 4, from Phoenix, Arizona, with 262 repatriated citizens, including 226 men, 36 women, and 17 minors.
• Flight no. 108: Arrived Friday, February 6, from an unspecified US location, returning 311 Venezuelan migrants, including 262 men, 39 women, and 10 minors.
These arrivals follow the previous 1,509 who returned this year across flights 99 through 105. The resumption of these operations occurs in the wake of the January 3 attack perpetrated by the US regime against Venezuela, which included the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. While a mutually agreed-upon program has been in place since early 2025, the Trump administration unilaterally suspended flights between mid-December 2025 and the second half of January 2026.
Migration origin and Venezuelan repatriation efforts
The mass migration of Venezuelans was triggered by a profound economic crisis between 2015 and 2020, resulting directly from illegal US sanctions. This period was followed by a sustained smear campaign of Venezuelans and outbreaks of xenophobic violence in the US, which often featured false allegations of criminality against migrants. Subsequently, the US regime initiated mass detentions and deportations, frequently targeting individuals with no criminal records who were awaiting the resolution of their immigration cases.
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Every Venezuelan migrant returning under the Return to the Homeland Plan is received with established protocols, including immediate medical care, psychological support, and legal and socioeconomic guidance to facilitate their reintegration into society. Since its inception in 2018, the program has provided a safe and dignified return for Venezuelans who faced exploitation and xenophobia abroad.
The reactivation of the Phoenix-Maiquetía route, primarily operated by Eastern Airlines, is expected to be followed by additional charter flights and the potential resumption of direct commercial connections between the two countries. While the US characterizes these flights as part of a broader migration management strategy, Venezuelan officials maintain that the return of its citizens must occur under sovereign and dignified conditions.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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