17-3-2025 (WASHINGTON) More than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang affiliates have been transported to El Salvador’s prison system, as announced by President Nayib Bukele. The operation, authorised by US President Donald Trump through wartime legislation, has raised significant legal and humanitarian concerns.
El Salvador’s maximum security Terrorism Confinement Center, notorious for its austere conditions, including bare metal beds and windowless cells, now houses these detainees. The facility, situated southeast of San Salvador, boasts a capacity for 40,000 inmates who endure stringent restrictions, including a complete ban on visitors.
The operation proceeded despite a US federal court’s temporary suspension order, prompting Bukele to respond rather flippantly on social media with “Oopsie… Too late” accompanied by a laughing emoji. The White House, through spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, defended Trump’s actions as necessary presidential powers to safeguard American interests against “urgent threats.”
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇸🇻 United States officially transfers deported Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.
The United States is paying El Salvador $6,000,000 to detain and house 300 Venezuelan gang members in the country’s infamous prison system. pic.twitter.com/SoubOoZaDx
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 16, 2025
Trump’s invocation of the antiquated Alien Enemies Act of 1798 marks only the fourth time this wartime authority has been employed in American history. Previous applications included the expulsion of British nationals during the War of 1812, actions against enemy nationals in World War I, and most controversially, the internment of Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans during World War II.
Civil liberties organisations have voiced serious concerns about the precedent this sets, warning that such actions could potentially enable mass deportations without due process. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward have mounted legal challenges, arguing that deploying wartime powers during peacetime violates constitutional principles.
The Venezuelan government has strongly condemned Trump’s actions, asserting that he has unjustly criminalised Venezuelan migrants, whom they maintain are predominantly “dignified and honest workers.” Trump’s executive order specifically targets members of the Tren de Aragua gang aged 14 and above, excluding naturalised citizens and permanent residents.
Bukele, whose tough stance on crime has garnered both domestic popularity and international scrutiny, had previously offered to accommodate American prisoners, including members of both Tren de Aragua and MS-13. However, some Salvadorans express concern that this arrangement might undermine their nation’s progress in combating organised crime.
The agreement, which involves an undisclosed “very low fee” paid by the United States to El Salvador, was demonstrated through footage showing shackled prisoners being transferred from aircraft to heavily guarded convoys, with subsequent images revealing their heads being shaved upon arrival.
