El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has now reportedly announced plans to double the capacity of the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), the largest prison in the world, where his government currently holds U.S. deportees.
During a visit from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Bukele revealed his intention to expand the facility, which opened in 2023 with the capability to house 40,000 inmates.
Currently, Cecot holds around 15,000 people, including hundreds of alleged gang members recently deported from the U.S. under the Trump administration.
By increasing the prison’s capacity, Bukele aims to accommodate a total of 80,000 inmates. “We have no plans to bring them back; this is a long-term solution,” Noem stated in an interview with The Wall Street Journal after her visit.
She noted that Bukele has over 80 acres available for further construction.
Bukele has become a key ally in Trump’s deportation agenda, eagerly offering to detain alleged criminals from the U.S.
His aggressive crackdown on Salvadoran gangs has garnered him support from influential figures in Trump’s inner circle, including Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., and Tucker Carlson.
The prison has also become a popular destination for GOP lawmakers, many of whom have posed for selfies with inmates behind bars.
In mid-March, the U.S. deported more than 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador, primarily from Venezuela, following President Trump’s invocation of a seldom-used wartime law.
To support this initiative, the U.S. is providing Bukele’s government with $6 million to cover the costs of incarcerating these individuals at Cecot for a year.
Bukele’s efforts reflect his administration’s commitment to tackling crime in El Salvador while maintaining close ties with the U.S. in managing deportees and gang-related issues. The planned expansion of Cecot underscores the scale of these initiatives.
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