A two-year-old Venezuelan girl, Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal, who was separated from her mother and held by US authorities, has been returned to Venezuela amid growing outrage over her detention.

She arrived on Wednesday at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia aboard a US-registered plane, along with 226 deported Venezuelan migrants, including seven minors and 37 women.

The girl’s mother, Yorelys Bernal, was deported to Venezuela in April and was not at the airport for the reunion, though officials said the two would be reunited shortly. The separation had sparked protests in Caracas, with Venezuelan officials calling the incident a “kidnapping.”

President Nicolas Maduro, while thanking former US President Donald Trump for what he called a “humane act of justice,” acknowledged longstanding differences but praised the return of the child.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed Maikelys was placed in foster care because her parents were linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua criminal gang—a claim Venezuela disputes.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the girl’s return was a “great victory,” urging the US to recognize its error. Meanwhile, First Lady Cilia Flores thanked Venezuelans for their solidarity and confirmed the government had pushed firmly for the girl’s return.

Since February, the number of repatriation flights deporting Venezuelan migrants from the US has risen sharply, with over 4,000 people returned.