At least some American officials knew that Dahud Hanid Ortiz had been convicted of a triple murder when he was put on the plane to the United States.

The Trump administration said it was protecting Americans unjustly held abroad. One of the rescued men, Dahud Hanid Ortiz, killed three people, according to court documents.

© State Department

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

© Federico Parra/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Ten Americans and permanent U.S. residents detained in Venezuela were traded for more than 250 Venezuelans expelled from the U.S. and imprisoned in El Salvador.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. envoy to Venezuela were both working on different deals and ended up at cross purposes.

© Fred Ramos for The New York Times