In pictures: the first flight of deportees to Guantanamo Bay

The first plane carrying illegal immigrants has already landed at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. It´s cargo: nearly a dozen men, all members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. 

The Department of Homeland Security shared images of the first selectees boarding the cargo plane:

"President Donald Trump has been very clear: Guantanamo Bay will hold the worst of the worst," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. "That starts today (Tuesday)."

Murder, rape, drug trafficking, are some of the crimes DHS is looking for in choosing which undocumented immigrants will pass through the naval base on the island before being deported to their home countries.

The government announced days ago its intention to use the Guantanamo Bay naval base to hold illegal immigrants as a preliminary step before deportation. The plan is for the base to serve as a transit center for migrants on their way back to their home countries, though it remains unclear whether their return will be straightforward.

The base's detention facilities were designed to house migrants picked up at sea by the Coast Guard. A small group of people, mostly Haitian and Cuban refugees, were being housed for the time being at the Guantanamo Migrant Operations Center.

The Trump administration ordered an expansion of the detention center days ago, aiming to accommodate up to 30,000 prisoners. "This will immediately double our capacity, and it's a tough place, a very tough place to get out of," Trump said.