Inside El Salvador's 'Mega-Prison' Where The Trump Administration Could Send Convicted Criminals

Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele said late Monday that his government has offered its U.S. counterpart to "outsource part of its prison system," sending convicted criminals to its so-called "mega-prison," which can hold tens of thousands of people.

Bukele said in a post on X that his government would do so in exchange for a fee, which would be "relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable."

The offer took place during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the country, part of his first overseas trip in the post. He described the offer as the "most unprecedented and extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world."

"You can think about it: any unlawful immigrant, illegal immigrant in the United States who's a dangerous criminal – MS-13, Tren de Aragua, whatever it may be – he has offered his jails so we can send them here and he will put them in his jails. And he's also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States, even if they're U.S. citizens or legal residents. We are just profoundly grateful," Rubio added.

The Trump administration also wants the Central American nation to be designated as a "safe third country," something that would entail it taking migrants from other countries and require them to request asylum there before doing so in the U.S. Among the deportees could be members of Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua, declared a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.

Should the agreement be finalized, those deported would face some of the harshest conditions for inmates, who are confined to their cells for all but 30 minutes a day, can't receive visits and have to sleep in stainless steel cots without mattresses. The facility can hold up to 40,000 people, with some serving sentences of over 200 years. About 1,000 officers, 600 soldiers and 250 riot police guard the facility. All are watched 24 hours a day by CCTV cameras as well.

Known as CECOT, the largest prison in the country is on the edge of a jungle about 75 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of the capital San Salvador. Inmates only leave their cells if they have court hearings, which they attend via video link, while exercise is conducted in the hallways. They eat mainly pasta and beans, with the government expressly banning meat. They shower using water from a large basin and collect it from another barrel to drink, all inside their cells.