While portrayed by the Trump administration as hardened criminals, the Venezuelans deported from the United States were welcomed back with open arms as prodigal sons and daughters — ironically, by the man in charge of the repressive apparatus that initially forced many of them to flee.

U.S. diplomat Richard Grenell added in his post that the flights would start on Friday. Venezuela's communication ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In late January, Grenell visited the Venezuelan capital of Caracas as an envoy of U.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday that scheduled flights to bring home Venezuelan migrants from the U.S. had been affected by "this unexplained, tremendous commotion", after the Trump administration canceled a license allowing Chevron to operate in the South American country.

Venezuela will again accept deportation flights from the US after joint cooperation halted over Washington stripping oil giant Chevron of a sanctions waiver.

The US will resume deportation flights to Venezuela that its government had halted after President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke Chevron Corp.’s license to operate in the country.

"I am pleased to announce that Venezuela has agreed to resume flights to pick up their citizens who broke U.S. Immigration Laws and entered the U.S. illegally," said Richard Grene