The first military flight carrying migrants to Guantánamo Bay arrived Tuesday night. The move is part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The plane took off from El Paso, Texas, with 10 migrants on board. All prisoners are suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The U.S. has used Guantánamo Bay’s high-security prison facility to hold al-Qaida members since the war on terror began in the fall of 2001.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that only the “worst of worst” illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes will be housed there.
The migrants will not share space with the 15 detainees remaining at the facility, including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed.
Approximately 200 U.S. Marines were recently dispatched to Guantánamo to bolster security, help set up the infrastructure and increase the site’s capacity. Defense officials said that number will rise to 500 in the coming days.
