The Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo prison has become a symbol of El Salvador's harsh crackdown on gang violence since it opened
The US is deporting Venezuelan gang members, including those from Tren de Aragua and MS-13, to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison as part of a deal with the Trump administration. This prison, a symbol of President Bukele's crackdown on gangs, houses thousands in harsh conditions, with reports of overcrowding, disease, and human rights abuses. Rights groups have criticized the policy, citing arbitrary detentions, torture, and deaths in custody. Bukele touts the prison as evidence of El Salvador's transition from a dangerous country to a safe one.
