The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced that 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua arrived in the country, sent by the United States, to be incarcerated in a maximum-security prison.
The criminals were immediately transferred to the Terrorist Detention Center (CECOT), where they will serve an initial confinement of one year, renewable as determined by the Salvadoran government.
Bukele shared a video on his social media of the arrival of criminals in Salvadoran territory and emphasized that this action reinforces the security strategy that his administration has promoted in recent years.
The information was confirmed by the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who specified that along with the members of the Tren de Aragua, two dangerous leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 21 of their most wanted members were also deported.
"This will help us conclude the intelligence gathering and pursue the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors," Bukele stated.
Rubio, for his part, expressed gratitude for El Salvador's cooperation and stated that this agreement will allow American taxpayers to save resources.
This action takes place one day after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemy Act of 1798 to expedite mass deportations.
According to the executive order signed by Trump, the Aragua Train operates as a terrorist organization with the complicity of the regime of Nicolás Maduro, posing a direct threat to the security of the United States.
The Tren de Aragua, formed in the Venezuelan prison of Tocorón in 2014, is linked to murders, kidnappings, thefts, drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion, and human trafficking. According to the portal Infobae, its expansion has reached countries such as Colombia, Chile, Peru, and the United States.
In February, the Trump administration designated this organization as a global threat and a key player in transnational crime.
Bukele emphasized that El Salvador will receive a payment for the custody of these criminals and assured that his government will continue with the security strategy that has dramatically reduced the rates of violence in the country.
"We continue to make progress in the fight against organized crime. But this time we are also helping our allies and gathering vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place," concluded the president.
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