U.S. to Pay El Salvador for Imprisoning Venezuelan Gang Members

The U.S. plans to pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison 300 alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members deported from the U.S. The move aligns with mass deportation efforts but faces criticism from human rights groups. The gang is designated as a terrorist organization involved in crime in the Americas.

The United States is poised to provide $6 million to El Salvador to house 300 alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members deported from the U.S., reports the Associated Press. El Salvador agrees to hold these individuals for a year, pending further U.S. decisions on their fate, according to a memo from El Salvador's Foreign Ministry.

While El Salvador's presidential office claims knowledge only of publicized details, the White House and Venezuela's Information Ministry have yet to comment. U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, recently highlighted El Salvador's willingness to detain 'dangerous criminals' deported from the U.S. in their prisons.

Human rights critics oppose this arrangement, pointing to reports of torture and deaths in custody in El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele has initiated a tough anti-gang crackdown. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has declared the gang as alien enemies under an old wartime law, further escalating actions against them in the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)