U.S. Expels Criminal Gang Members to El Salvador under Wartime Law
238 members of Tren de Aragua and 23 members of Mara Salvatrucha transferred to El Salvador as part of a controversial U.S. expulsion order.
El Salvador recently detained 238 suspected members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua and 23 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in a maximum-security prison.
This mass transfer, coordinated with U.S. authorities, was approved under a wartime law invoked by President Donald Trump.
The law in question, the Enemy Aliens Act of 1798, has been employed to classify these individuals as 'foreign enemies.'
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the arrival of the prisoners on social media, providing a video representation of the operation that saw them transported to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) located 75 kilometers southeast of San Salvador.
Bukele stated that the prisoners would remain at Cecot for an initial period of one year, which could be renewed.
In discussions earlier this year, Bukele had expressed willingness to imprison dangerous criminals sent from the U.S., aligning with the U.S. designation of Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
In his expulsion order, Trump contended that the law allowed him to declare these criminal entities as threats to national security.
The decision to transfer prisoners has prompted a response from the Venezuelan government, which accused the U.S. of unjustly criminalizing Venezuelan migrants, labeling the law as outdated.
In their official statement, they rejected the U.S. government's actions and expressed their condemnation of the stigma placed on individuals from Venezuela.
As the planes carrying the prisoners landed at the international airport in El Salvador, footage released by the Salvadoran government depicted soldiers escorting the chained inmates from the aircraft and transporting them to their new facility.
Upon arrival at Cecot, they were subjected to a series of procedures including kneeling in front of prison officers while stating their names and having their heads shaved before being placed in cells.
President Bukele indicated that this arrangement would yield financial benefits for El Salvador, with the U.S. government expected to compensate the country for the incarceration of these individuals.
Following the transfer, Trump expressed gratitude towards Bukele for his cooperation in this operation, labeling the prisoners as detrimental figures associated with the Democratic Party's leadership.
Cecot, inaugurated in January 2023, is noted to be the largest prison in Latin America, originally designed to accommodate 40,000 inmates.
Currently, it houses around 15,000 individuals, primarily members of MS-13 and the rival Barrio 18 gang.
Critics, including human rights organizations, have raised concerns over Bukele's wider crackdown on criminal activity, which has involved mass arrests often without judicial warrants, leading to allegations of wrongful detentions.
Reports from various intelligence sources indicate that Tren de Aragua, established in Venezuelan prisons in 2014, plays a significant role in organized crime, with involvement in a range of criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking, and violent crime across several countries in Latin America including the United States.
This transnational gang activity has led Central American nations such as Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica to facilitate deportations but maintain a unique stance against accepting prisoners, setting El Salvador apart as the only country to accept these criminal transfers.
This mass transfer, coordinated with U.S. authorities, was approved under a wartime law invoked by President Donald Trump.
The law in question, the Enemy Aliens Act of 1798, has been employed to classify these individuals as 'foreign enemies.'
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the arrival of the prisoners on social media, providing a video representation of the operation that saw them transported to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) located 75 kilometers southeast of San Salvador.
Bukele stated that the prisoners would remain at Cecot for an initial period of one year, which could be renewed.
In discussions earlier this year, Bukele had expressed willingness to imprison dangerous criminals sent from the U.S., aligning with the U.S. designation of Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
In his expulsion order, Trump contended that the law allowed him to declare these criminal entities as threats to national security.
The decision to transfer prisoners has prompted a response from the Venezuelan government, which accused the U.S. of unjustly criminalizing Venezuelan migrants, labeling the law as outdated.
In their official statement, they rejected the U.S. government's actions and expressed their condemnation of the stigma placed on individuals from Venezuela.
As the planes carrying the prisoners landed at the international airport in El Salvador, footage released by the Salvadoran government depicted soldiers escorting the chained inmates from the aircraft and transporting them to their new facility.
Upon arrival at Cecot, they were subjected to a series of procedures including kneeling in front of prison officers while stating their names and having their heads shaved before being placed in cells.
President Bukele indicated that this arrangement would yield financial benefits for El Salvador, with the U.S. government expected to compensate the country for the incarceration of these individuals.
Following the transfer, Trump expressed gratitude towards Bukele for his cooperation in this operation, labeling the prisoners as detrimental figures associated with the Democratic Party's leadership.
Cecot, inaugurated in January 2023, is noted to be the largest prison in Latin America, originally designed to accommodate 40,000 inmates.
Currently, it houses around 15,000 individuals, primarily members of MS-13 and the rival Barrio 18 gang.
Critics, including human rights organizations, have raised concerns over Bukele's wider crackdown on criminal activity, which has involved mass arrests often without judicial warrants, leading to allegations of wrongful detentions.
Reports from various intelligence sources indicate that Tren de Aragua, established in Venezuelan prisons in 2014, plays a significant role in organized crime, with involvement in a range of criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking, and violent crime across several countries in Latin America including the United States.
This transnational gang activity has led Central American nations such as Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica to facilitate deportations but maintain a unique stance against accepting prisoners, setting El Salvador apart as the only country to accept these criminal transfers.
