What to Know About CECOT, El Salvador’s Mega-Prison for Gang Members

El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) is a high-security mega-prison central to President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang crackdown. Built in 2023, it holds up to 40,000 inmates, primarily gang members. Prisoners receive no visits, outdoor time, or rehabilitation programs, and officials say they will never return to their communities.

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Recently, the U.S. deported 250 suspected gang members, including 238 from Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, under Trump’s 1798 Alien Enemies Act declaration. This rarely-used law allows foreign nationals to be expelled during wartime, though no direct evidence was provided linking all deportees to crimes.

CECOT has drawn human rights concerns, with reports of abuse, overcrowding, and lack of medical care. El Salvador’s prison population has surged to 110,000, triple the 2021 figure. At least 261 inmates have died in custody.

Despite international criticism, Bukele promotes CECOT as a model for crime control, while the U.S. agreement signals a harsher immigration crackdown. Critics warn the prison’s extreme conditions raise ethical and legal concerns about detainee treatment.

Source: NPR
Image Source: Casa Presidencial, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons