US Agrees to Pay El Salvador $6M for Detaining 300 Gang Members

The Trump administration has reached an agreement with El Salvador to pay $6 million to imprison about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang for one year. This deal follows discussions between El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and represents a significant step in U.S. efforts to address gang-related crime linked to international migration. The prisoners will be housed in El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, known for its harsh conditions, amidst Bukele's extensive crackdown on gang violence that has seen over 84,000 arrests since 2022. The U.S. has not disclosed how it identified these individuals as gang members, but the agreement also includes the transfer of two members of the MS-13 gang. Despite a federal judge's temporary block on the enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, which expedited deportations, Bukele confirmed the arrival of the gang members in El Salvador before the ruling was enacted. This agreement signals a potential shift in how the U.S. and Central American countries manage migrant criminal elements.