El Salvador is home to one of the most feared prisons in the world, and now, thanks to Trump, it’s about to get even more crowded.
The massive maximum-security facility — Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) — was built in 2023 under President Nayib Bukele’s hardline crackdown on gang violence.
And now, over 250 people deported from the U.S. are being sent straight into its walls.
The prison has a brutal reputation
CECOT isn’t just big — it’s infamous. Designed to hold up to 40,000 of the country’s most dangerous criminals, it’s been criticized for its extreme conditions.
Venezuelan gang members, mass murderers, and now, deported individuals from the U.S. are all being housed under one roof.
Trump, who has always pushed for tougher immigration policies, is calling this move a win.
Trump used an old wartime law to make it happen
Here’s the wild part: Trump used a law from the 18th century — yep, the 1700s — to push through these deportations.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, originally used during World War II to justify internment camps, was dusted off to justify sending these individuals to El Salvador.
A judge tried to stop it, but it was too late
A federal judge ruled against the deportations, but by then, the plane was already in the air. The move has sparked major controversy, but Trump and his administration are standing by their decision.
The prison is designed to be inescapable
Security at CECOT is intense. Guards watch prisoners 24/7, there are 19 massive watchtowers, and the place is surrounded by thick concrete walls and electrified fences. Escape? Not happening.
Critics describe it as a ‘concrete and steel pit’
Not everyone is impressed by Bukele’s mega-prison. Miguel Sarre from the UN’s Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture once described it as a ‘concrete and steel pit.’
But despite the criticism, Trump and his team see CECOT as the perfect place to send deportees.
The U.S. and El Salvador made a new deal
On February 3rd, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a shocking announcement: El Salvador agreed to take in deportees from the U.S., no matter where they’re originally from.
“We can send them, and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio said, referring to Bukele.
El Salvador offers to take U.S. prisoners
Bukele clarified that he’s open to hosting U.S. prisoners — but only convicted criminals. And, of course, the U.S. is paying for it.
Life inside the prison is harsh and relentless
Journalist Leire Venta from BBC News Mundo got a rare look inside CECOT, and what she saw was bleak.
No darkness, no rest
“It is the middle of the night, but in here, the artificial lights are never turned off,” she reported.
Sweltering heat, no ventilation
“A waft of air filters through the lattice ceiling, providing a brief respite from the heat. The temperature in the cells can reach 35°C during the day, and there is no other source of ventilation.”
Guards watch from above
“Hooded guards keep watch from above, gun in hand.”
Overcrowded and uncomfortable
“Below, the prisoners climb onto the four-storey bunks on which they sleep. Without any mattresses or sheets, they have to lie on bare metal.”
Food? Basic at best
“They eat the food they are given — rice, beans, hard-boiled eggs, or pasta — with their hands.”
The prison director has a chilling warning
Venta also recalled what the prison director told her:
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“Here are the psychopaths, the terrorists, the murderers who had our country in mourning. Don’t look them in the eyes. Any utensil can be [fashioned into] a deadly weapon.”
One thing’s clear — CECOT isn’t a place anyone would want to end up. And now, thanks to Trump’s latest move, it’s getting even more crowded.
