WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday threatened new sanctions against Venezuela unless its leftist President Nicolas Maduro agrees to accept citizens deported by Washington.

US President Donald Trump over the weekend invoked rare wartime legislation to fly more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, which has offered to imprison migrants and even US citizens at a discount.

“Venezuela is obligated to accept its repatriated citizens from the US. This is not an issue for debate or negotiation. Nor does it merit any reward,“ Rubio wrote on X.

“Unless the Maduro regime accepts a consistent flow of deportation flights, without further excuses or delays, the US will impose new, severe and escalating sanctions,“ Rubio wrote.

Maduro said on Monday that he was appealing to the United Nations to protect the rights of Venezuelans. He described the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador as “kidnapped” and said he would seek their “rescue and safe return.”

The Venezuelan leader met Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell shortly after the Republican returned to the White House, promising to accept deported migrants in a move seen as a shift towards pragmatic engagement with Washington.

The Trump administration, under pressure from hardline Republican lawmakers, however, quickly accused Maduro of reneging on the deal and canceled permission for US oil giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela, potentially dealing a major economic blow.

The deportations to El Salvador took place even though a US federal judge granted a temporary suspension of the expulsion order.

Trump called for the judge to be impeached, leading to a rare rebuke of the president by Chief Justice John Roberts.