Trump Could Potentially Send US People to the “Worst Prison in the World” With “Inhumane Rules”
President Donald Trump now has the ability to send US citizens to El Salvador’s notorious prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). Described as a “concrete and steel pit” by UN official Miguel Sarre, the facility is designed for the most dangerous criminals and can hold 40,000 inmates under extreme security.
President Nayib Bukele’s administration built CECOT in 2023 to combat gang violence. Surrounded by 19 towers, double concrete walls, and electric gates, it is heavily guarded 24/7. Prisoners endure harsh conditions—no mattresses, extreme heat, and constant surveillance by hooded guards. “Don’t look them in the eyes. Any utensil can be [fashioned into] a deadly weapon,” the prison director warned.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Bukele’s commitment to accepting deported individuals, regardless of nationality. “We can send them and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio stated. Bukele also offered to take US criminals for a fee, effectively allowing the US to “outsource part of its prison system.”
A BBC journalist who visited CECOT described its brutal conditions: “Artificial lights are never turned off… temperatures reach 35°C… prisoners eat with their hands.”
