U.S. Officials Visit El Salvador's Prison Housing Deported Venezuelans
Tour by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlights ongoing deportation policies and bilateral collaboration.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, visited the maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador on Wednesday, where over 200 Venezuelans deported by the previous Trump administration are currently housed.
The visit marks the initial step of a Latin American tour aimed at discussing and reinforcing immigration and security cooperation.
During her visit to CECOT, which is recognized as the largest prison in Latin America, Noem viewed the conditions of the inmates, including Venezuelans deported on March 16. At the facility, she stated, "If you commit a crime, this is a consequence you may face," referencing the severe penalties for criminal activity in the region.
Post-visit, Noem expressed on social media that the U.S. government's stance is clear, urging illegal immigrants to leave the country or face arrest and potential imprisonment in El Salvador.
The U.S. government specifically labeled the deported individuals as associated with the Tren de Aragua, a criminal gang, and justified the deportations under a 1798 war law.
However, families of the deportees, along with officials in Caracas, contend that these individuals were simply undocumented migrants caught within a broader enforcement action.
El Salvador's Minister of Justice and Security, Gustavo Villatoro, joined Noem during the prison visit.
CECOT has the capacity to hold up to 40,000 inmates and currently houses about 15,000 suspected gang members, including members of the notorious MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs.
Following the prison tour, Noem met with President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador to discuss expanding deportation flights and expelling violent criminals, underlining the collaboration between the two nations regarding migration issues.
According to a statement from the U.S. embassy, both officials reviewed agreements related to sharing criminal records of fugitives and expressed appreciation for El Salvador’s cooperation in accepting deportation flights.
Noem noted that the resolution of deportations sends a message about the U.S. stance as a non-refuge for violent criminals.
Contrarily, human rights organizations highlight concerns regarding the deportation actions, asserting that many of those sent to El Salvador are not gang members and face significant risks of human rights violations.
Juan Pappier, Deputy Director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, indicated that evidence suggests many deportees do not belong to the Tren de Aragua gang.
This follows recent judicial developments, where a U.S. appeals court upheld a decision preventing deportations under the previously cited war law.
Financially, the U.S. government reportedly allocated approximately $6 million to the Bukele administration for the imprisonment of these deported individuals.
Analysts have raised concerns about the long-term implications of Bukele's cooperation with the Trump administration, suggesting that it could create future tensions with subsequent U.S. administrations.
As part of Bukele's ongoing anti-gang campaign, approximately 86,000 alleged gang members have been detained within a three-year span; however, around 8,000 of these detainees have been released after being deemed innocent.
Political analysts note that Bukele’s actions may be geared towards maintaining favor with the U.S. to mitigate the deportation of Salvadoran nationals, over 2.5 million of whom currently reside in the United States, sending significant remittances which comprise 23% of El Salvador's GDP.
The visit marks the initial step of a Latin American tour aimed at discussing and reinforcing immigration and security cooperation.
During her visit to CECOT, which is recognized as the largest prison in Latin America, Noem viewed the conditions of the inmates, including Venezuelans deported on March 16. At the facility, she stated, "If you commit a crime, this is a consequence you may face," referencing the severe penalties for criminal activity in the region.
Post-visit, Noem expressed on social media that the U.S. government's stance is clear, urging illegal immigrants to leave the country or face arrest and potential imprisonment in El Salvador.
The U.S. government specifically labeled the deported individuals as associated with the Tren de Aragua, a criminal gang, and justified the deportations under a 1798 war law.
However, families of the deportees, along with officials in Caracas, contend that these individuals were simply undocumented migrants caught within a broader enforcement action.
El Salvador's Minister of Justice and Security, Gustavo Villatoro, joined Noem during the prison visit.
CECOT has the capacity to hold up to 40,000 inmates and currently houses about 15,000 suspected gang members, including members of the notorious MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs.
Following the prison tour, Noem met with President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador to discuss expanding deportation flights and expelling violent criminals, underlining the collaboration between the two nations regarding migration issues.
According to a statement from the U.S. embassy, both officials reviewed agreements related to sharing criminal records of fugitives and expressed appreciation for El Salvador’s cooperation in accepting deportation flights.
Noem noted that the resolution of deportations sends a message about the U.S. stance as a non-refuge for violent criminals.
Contrarily, human rights organizations highlight concerns regarding the deportation actions, asserting that many of those sent to El Salvador are not gang members and face significant risks of human rights violations.
Juan Pappier, Deputy Director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, indicated that evidence suggests many deportees do not belong to the Tren de Aragua gang.
This follows recent judicial developments, where a U.S. appeals court upheld a decision preventing deportations under the previously cited war law.
Financially, the U.S. government reportedly allocated approximately $6 million to the Bukele administration for the imprisonment of these deported individuals.
Analysts have raised concerns about the long-term implications of Bukele's cooperation with the Trump administration, suggesting that it could create future tensions with subsequent U.S. administrations.
As part of Bukele's ongoing anti-gang campaign, approximately 86,000 alleged gang members have been detained within a three-year span; however, around 8,000 of these detainees have been released after being deemed innocent.
Political analysts note that Bukele’s actions may be geared towards maintaining favor with the U.S. to mitigate the deportation of Salvadoran nationals, over 2.5 million of whom currently reside in the United States, sending significant remittances which comprise 23% of El Salvador's GDP.
