A group of 10 Americans freed in a hostage exchange with Venezuela included a U.S. Navy sailor and a water sports fan, reports say. When contacted for comment, the U.S. State Department told Newsweek on Saturday that for privacy reasons, the individuals would not be identified nor their cases disclosed.

U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, called Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele “a good friend” after he helped secure the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela in exchange for the return of more than 250 Venezuelans that the U.

The release is the result of a complex diplomatic negotiation involving the transport of deported Venezuelans from a high-security prison in El Salvador.

Over 260 people were released from prisons in El Salvador and Venezuela. Now they face the challenge of coming home.

The group has been linked to human trafficking networks that move migrants north through Central America and Mexico, with stops in border cities like Tapachula and Tijuana — and eventual arrivals in U.

The U.S. has long targeted the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but the Trump administration has stepped up those efforts.