El Salvador's ‘mega-prison’ to take in America’s worst criminals, illegal immigrants but 'for a price'

El Salvador has agreed to accommodate violent criminals from the United States and accept deportees of any nationality, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (Feb 04).

The controversial agreement has raised concerns among critics and human rights organisations, who question its legality.

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Rubio announced the deal following a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

“In an act of extraordinary friendship to our country … (El Salvador) has agreed to the most unprecedented and extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world,” Rubio told reporters.

'El Salvador to accept deportation of any illegal alien in the United States'

As per the agreement, El Salvador will continue accepting deported Salvadorans who entered the US illegally. Additionally, it will “accept for deportation any illegal alien in the United States who is a criminal from any nationality, be they MS-13 or Tren de Aragua, and house them in his jails,” Rubio said, referencing two notorious gangs with members from El Salvador and Venezuela.

Furthermore, Bukele has “offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those of US citizenship and legal residents,” according to Rubio.

Bukele later confirmed the arrangement on X, clarifying that "we are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted US citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee."

He added, "The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us, making our entire prison sustainable."

However, it remains uncertain whether the US government will move forward with the proposal, given the potential legal challenges. Any attempt by the Trump administration to deport incarcerated US nationals to another country would likely face strong legal opposition.

The maximum-security facility Bukele referred to, the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT), is central to his crackdown against violent gangs. The prison, which can hold up to 40,000 inmates, has played a major role in his strategy to combat crime since taking office in 2019.

Although crime rates in El Salvador have decreased under Bukele’s leadership, the treatment of prisoners has sparked criticism from human rights organisations, who describe the country’s prison conditions as inhumane.

The US State Department’s travel advisory for El Salvador also warns that detainees in the country endure “harsh” prison conditions and lack access to due process.

“Overcrowding constitutes a serious threat to prisoners’ health and lives. In many facilities, provisions for sanitation, potable water, ventilation, temperature control, and lighting are inadequate or nonexistent,” the advisory states.

Supporters of the Trump administration have welcomed the announcement. Elon Musk praised the idea, calling it a “great idea” in a post on X.

El Salvador was the second stop on Secretary of State Rubio’s first international tour as the US’s top diplomat.

(With inputs from agencies)