Over 250 Deported Migrant Gang Members Enter Infamous Mega-Prison Known For ‘Horrendous Conditions’

The United States has deported over 250 alleged gang members, primarily from the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador, according to the New York Post. The deportees were sent to El Salvador’s controversial mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), known for its harsh conditions and strict anti-gang measures.

Inside CECOT Prison with MS-13 https://t.co/K4nduwMhXs

— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) February 17, 2025

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed the arrival of 238 Tren de Aragua members and 23 MS-13 members on Sunday. Videos shared by Bukele showed heavily armed guards escorting shackled prisoners to the facility. Bukele defended the operation as part of his broader anti-crime strategy, which aims to dismantle transnational gang networks that have plagued Central America for decades. He emphasized that housing these gang members in El Salvador would enable intelligence-sharing and help authorities better understand the operations of groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 in an effort to dismantle the gang networks. He also highlighted that CECOT was specifically designed to house high-risk inmates and claimed it would prevent these individuals from continuing their criminal activities.

The Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) is one of the largest prisons in the world, with a capacity to hold up to 40,000 inmates. It was inaugurated in early 2023 as part of Bukele’s aggressive anti-gang campaign, which has led to the arrest of over 70,000 suspected gang members since March 2022 under a state of emergency. The facility is equipped with advanced surveillance systems, including facial recognition technology and drones, and is heavily guarded by thousands of soldiers and police officers.

The deportations have sparked criticism from human rights advocates and the Venezuelan government, which accused the U.S. of criminalizing migrants. Critics argue that this action violates international law and raises ethical concerns about the treatment of prisoners in El Salvador’s overcrowded and restrictive facilities.

However, CECOT has been widely criticized for its inhumane conditions. Inmates are reportedly subjected to extreme isolation, overcrowding, and limited access to basic necessities such as food and medical care. There are no rehabilitation or reintegration programs available at the prison, raising concerns about human rights violations. Amnesty International and other advocacy groups have described CECOT as emblematic of El Salvador’s “iron fist” approach to crime, which they argue prioritizes punishment over due process and rehabilitation.

This move was carried out under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law invoked by former President Donald Trump. The law, originally passed in 1798, allows the U.S. government to detain or deport individuals from countries considered hostile during times of conflict. This marks the first time the law has been applied since World War II. A federal judge had previously issued an injunction blocking such removals on grounds suggesting that they violated due process protections under U.S. law. However, Trump’s legal team argued that the statute superseded these protections in cases involving national security threats. In January, Trump declared Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization.

Border enforcer Tom Homan wrote on X Sunday morning, “Last night, 238 Tren de Aragua members along with 21 MS13 gang members, were deported from this country adding to the thousands of criminal aliens already deported,” adding “Under President Trump’s leadership, this country is becoming safer every day.”