Venezuelan men sue US aviation firms over ‘illegal’ transport to Salvadorian prison
TL/DR –
A lawsuit has been filed against US aviation companies CSI Aviation and GlobalX by Venezuelan men, alleging they were sent to a notorious Salvadorian terrorism prison last year by the Trump administration. The companies are accused of violating the men’s civil rights, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. The lawsuit claims the men, who were held in US immigration custody, were transported to El Salvador where they were detained and tortured, despite a federal judge ordering the flights to return.
Venezuelan Men Sue US Aviation Companies Over ‘Rendition Flights’
Venezuelan men who were sent to a Salvadorian terrorism prison last year by the previous US administration are suing US aviation companies, CSI Aviation and GlobalX, that facilitated their transport. These men accuse the companies of several violations such as infringing their civil rights, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and others.
In a lawsuit filed in Washington DC federal court, the companies are accused of undertaking the ‘rendition flights’ to El Salvador with the US government, violating both US and international law.
The lawsuit alleges CSI and GlobalX transported the men despite a federal judge’s order to return the flights and knowing the men would likely be tortured at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known locally as “Cecot”.
The lawsuit was lodged by a team of human rights attorneys and is among the latest efforts to make private contractors accountable for alleged abuses resulting from the administration’s robust anti-immigrant crackdown.
According to Anthony Enriquez of the Kennedy Human Rights Center, many people may not realize the extent private companies are implicated in human rights abuses under the previous administration.
Enriquez claims CSI and GlobalX, employed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), profited immensely from this scheme while the Venezuelans suffered severe emotional distress from the experience.
The Salvadorian government has not disputed allegations of brutal treatment inside Cecot. CSI and GlobalX did not respond to a detailed request for comment before publication.
CSI Aviation Inc, based in Texas, and Florida-headquartered GlobalX both played major roles in the administration’s mass deportation campaign, allegedly earning $1.23 billion from ICE in 2025.
The lawsuit claims CSI subcontracted with GlobalX for the three flights to El Salvador, despite a federal court order to return the flights to the US.
After invoking the Alien Enemies Act, the previous administration expelled 252 Venezuelan and Salvadorian men to El Salvador, following a controversial and opaque US-El Salvador deal. The deported Venezuelan men were then accused of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang without any evidence being presented.
The lawsuit further alleges that the horror truly began for the men once they landed in El Salvador, with the expectation of coming home to Venezuela only to be detained and tortured at Cecot.
Human Rights Watch’s November 2025 report highlighted the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance under international human rights law.
The lawsuit adds that the Venezuelan men still struggle with long-lasting health effects and mental trauma. Judge James Boasberg will oversee the lawsuit proceedings and decide if all Venezuelans can sue.
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